straining

4 definitions • 8 examples

present participle of

to separate liquid food from solid food, especially by pouring it through a utensil with small holes in it:

Could you strain the vegetables, please.

be strained off The oil in which the fish is fried is strained off and used to cook potatoes.

to become stretched or to experience pressure, or to make something do or experience this:

I've put on such a lot of weight recently - this dress is straining at the seams.

I strained a muscle in my back playing squash.

strain your eyes Don't watch TV in the dark - you'll strain your eyes!

[ + to infinitive ] figurative I really had to strain (= try very hard) to reach those top notes.

strain (your ears) figurative I was straining (my ears) (= listening hard) to hear what they were saying.

to cause too much of something to be used, especially money:

Increases in wholesale oil prices have strained the company's finances.