strain
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
How often you will meet it
Rank 2,782 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 5,971 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.003% of every word in the library.
What it means
noun
- (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
- difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension also: stress she endured the stresses and strains of lifehe presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger
- a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence also: tune, melody, air, melodic line, line, melodic phrase she was humming an air from Beethoven
- (psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress also: mental strain, nervous strain his responsibilities were a constant strainthe mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him
- a special variety of domesticated animals within a species also: breed, stock he experimented on a particular breed of white ratshe created a new strain of sheep
- (biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups also: form, variant, var. a new strain of microorganisms
strain in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
-
But rafts that strain, Parted, shall they lock again?
John Marr and Other Poems · Herman Melville · Chapter 1
-
Henry, though feeling the strain, had not quite lost his fortitude.
Punch — Vol. 159, 1920-07-28 · Various · Chapter 1
-
Confound it! if Damer did want to strain a point, why shouldn't he?
The Hill: A Romance of Friendship · Horace Annesley Vachell · Chapter 1
-
Now we want a strain of thick red blood in our veins; ours is a great deal too blue.
The Reflections of Ambrosine: A Novel · Elinor Glyn · Chapter 1
-
In a sonnet-cycle Sidney recorded his love and sorrow, and Spenser took up the strain with his story of love and joy.
Elizabethan Sonnet Cycles: Phillis - Licia · Martha Foote [Editor] Crow · Chapter 1