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| Date: | 1300-1400 |
| Language: | Old French |
| Origin: | estraindre, from Latin stringere; STRINGENT |
1 to injure a muscle or part of your body by using it too much or making it work too hard : 
I've strained a muscle in my legYou'll strain your eyes trying to read in this light.
injure
[transitive]MI
I've strained a muscle in my legYou'll strain your eyes trying to read in this light.2 to try very hard to do something using all your strength or ability
effort
[intransitive and transitive] strain your ears/eyes (=try very hard to hear or see) I strained my ears, listening for any sound in the silence of the cave.
I strained my ears, listening for any sound in the silence of the cave.3 to separate solid things from a liquid by pouring the mixture through something with very small holes in it [↪ sieve]: She strained the pasta.
liquid
[transitive]DFCShe strained the pasta.4 to cause difficulties for something by making too much work or too many problems which it cannot deal with easily : The increased costs will certainly strain our finances. The incident has strained relations between the two countries.
difficulty
[transitive]The increased costs will certainly strain our finances.The incident has strained relations between the two countries.5 to pull hard at something or push hard against something
pull/push
[intransitive]6 to try as hard as possible to do something : He was straining every nerve to impress the judges.
strain every nerve
He was straining every nerve to impress the judges.7 to be eager to be allowed to do something : There are 30,000 troops in the area, all straining at the leash.
be straining at the leash
There are 30,000 troops in the area, all straining at the leash.