n.

1. (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
2. difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension; "she endured the stresses and strains of life"; "he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- R.J.Samuelson;
   stress
3. a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence;
   tune, melody, air, melodic line, line, melodic phrase
   
   • she was humming an air from Beethoven
4. (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress;
   mental strain, nervous strain
   
   • his responsibilities were a constant strain
   • the mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him
5. a special variety of domesticated animals within a species;
   breed, stock
   
   • he experimented on a particular breed of white rats
   • he created a new strain of sheep
6. (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups;
   form, variant, var.
   
   • a new strain of microorganisms
7. a lineage or race of people;
   breed
8. injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain
9. the general meaning or substance of an utterance;
   tenor
   
   • although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument
10. an effortful attempt to attain a goal;
    striving, nisus, pains
11. an intense or violent exertion;
    straining
12. the act of singing;
    song
    
    • with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates

v.

1. to exert much effort or energy;
   strive, reach
   
   • straining our ears to hear
2. test the limits of;
   try, stress
   
   • You are trying my patience!
3. use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity;
   extend
   
   • He really extended himself when he climbed Kilimanjaro
   • Don't strain your mind too much
4. separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements;
   sift, sieve
   
   • sift the flour
5. cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious;
   tense, tense up
   
   • he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up
6. become stretched or tense or taught;
   tense
   
   • the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed;" "the rope strained when the weight was attached
7. remove by passing through a filter;
   filter, filtrate, separate out, filter out
   
   • filter out the impurities
8. rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender;
   puree
   
   • puree the vegetables for the baby
9. alter the shape of (something) by stress;
   deform, distort
   
   • His body was deformed by leprosy