1a force tending to pull or stretch something to an extreme or damaging degree:the usual type of chair puts an enormous strain on the spine [mass noun]:aluminium may bend under strain
an injury to a part of the body caused by overexertion:he has a slight groin strain
Physics the magnitude of a deformation, equal to the change in the dimension of a deformed object divided by its original dimension.
2a severe or excessive demand on the strength, resources, or abilities of someone or something:the accusations put a strain on relations between the two countries [mass noun]:she’s under considerable strain
[mass noun] a state of tension or exhaustion resulting from severe demands on one’s strength or resources:the telltale signs of nervous strain
3 (usually strains) the sound of a piece of music:the distant strains of the brass band grew louder
ზმნა
Universal
1 [with object] force (a part of one’s body or oneself) to make an unusually great effort:I stopped and listened, straining my ears for any sound
[no object] make an unusually great effort:his voice was so quiet that I had to strain to hear it
injure (a limb, muscle, or organ) by overexerting it:on cold days you are more likely to strain a muscleglare from the screen can strain your eyes
make severe or excessive demands on:he strained her tolerance to the limit
[no object] pull or push forcibly at something:the bear strained at the chain around its neckhis stomach was swollen, straining against the thin shirt
stretch (something) tightly:the barbed wire fence was strained to posts six feet high
archaic embrace (someone) tightly:she strained the infant to her bosom again
2 [with object] pour (a mainly liquid substance) through a porous or perforated device or material in order to separate out any solid matter:strain the custard into a bowl
cause liquid to drain off (food which has been boiled, soaked, or canned) by using a porous or perforated device:she turned to the sink to strain the noodles
drain (liquid) off food by using a porous or perforated device:strain off the surplus fat
