strain

IPA: strˈeɪn

(archaic) Race; lineage, pedigree.
(biology) A particular variety of a microbe, virus, or other organism, usually a taxonomically infraspecific one.
(figurative) Hereditary character, quality, tendency, or disposition.
(music, poetry) Any sustained note or movement; a song; a distinct portion of an ode or other poem; also, the pervading note, or burden, of a song, poem, etc.
Language that is eloquent, poetic, or otherwise heightened.
(rare) A kind or sort (of person etc.).
(obsolete) Treasure.
(obsolete) The blood-vessel in the yolk of an egg.
The act of straining, or the state of being strained.
A violent effort; an excessive and hurtful exertion or tension, as of the muscles.
An injury resulting from violent effort; a sprain.
(uncountable, engineering) A dimensionless measure of object deformation either referring to engineering strain or true strain.
(obsolete) The track of a deer.
A surname.

(transitive, obsolete) To hold tightly, to clasp.
(transitive) To apply a force or forces to by stretching out.
(transitive) To damage by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of force.
(transitive) To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of form or volume, as when bending a beam.
(transitive, intransitive) To exert or struggle (to do something), especially to stretch (one's senses, faculties etc.) beyond what is normal or comfortable.
(transitive) To stretch beyond its proper limit; to do violence to, in terms of intent or meaning.
(transitive) To separate solid from liquid by passing through a strainer or colander.
(intransitive) To percolate; to be filtered.
(transitive) To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain.
(transitive) To urge with importunity; to press.
(transitive) To hug somebody; to hold somebody tightly.
(obsolete) To beget, generate (of light), engender, copulate (both of animals and humans), lie with, be born, come into the world.

Examples of "strain" in Sentences

The weight of the heavy boxes caused a strain on my back muscles
After working long hours without a break, I could feel the mental strain starting to affect my concentration
The relationship between the two friends began to strain under the pressures of jealousy and mistrust
The constant strain of financial worries was taking its toll on their marriage
The bridge showed signs of strain as the heavy traffic passed over it day after day