Main Entry:

¹strain

Pronunciation:

\ˈstrān\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English streen progeny, lineage, from Old English strēon gain, acquisition; akin to Old High German gistriuni gain, Latin struere to heap up — more at strew

Date:

13th century

1 a: lineage, ancestry b: a group of presumed common ancestry with clear-cut physiological but usually not morphological distinctions <a high-yielding strain of winter wheat> ; broadly : a specified infraspecific group (as a stock, line, or ecotype) c: kind, sort <discussions of a lofty strain>2 a: inherited or inherent character, quality, or disposition <a strain of madness in the family> b: trace, streak <a strain of fanaticism>3 a: tune, air b: a passage of verbal or musical expression c: a stream or outburst of forceful or impassioned speech4 a: the tenor, pervading note, burden, or tone of an utterance or of a course of action or conduct b: mood, temper