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Added 9 October 2026

strain

/stɹeɪn/ noun

In Latin: percolō, saccō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about strain at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces.
Difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension.
she endured the stresses and strains of life
A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence.
she was humming an air from Beethoven

verb

To exert much effort or energy.
straining our ears to hear
Test the limits of.
You are trying my patience!
Use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity.
He really extended himself when he climbed Kilimanjaro

Origin

From Middle English streen, strene, streon, istreon (“race, stock, generation”), from Old English strēon, ġestrēon (“gain, wealth”), from Proto-West Germanic *streun, from Proto-Germanic *streuną (“heap, treasure, profit, gain”), from Proto-Indo-European *strew- (“to spread, strew”) (cognate with Old Saxon gistriuni, Old High German gistriuni (“gain, property, wealth, business”), Latin strues (“heap”)). Confused in Middle English with the related noun strend, strynd, strund, from Old English strȳnd (“race; stock”), from strēonan, strȳnan (“to beget; acquire”). Related also to Dutch struinen (“to prowl, root about, rout”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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