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 speech
4 a : the tenor, pervading note, burden, or tone of an utterance or of a course of action or conduct b : mood, temper