straining
    adj 1: taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance; "his
           final, straining burst of speed"; "a strenuous task";
           "your willingness after these six arduous days to remain
           here"- F.D.Roosevelt [syn: arduous, straining,
           strenuous]
    n 1: an intense or violent exertion [syn: strain, straining]
    2: the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something
       it was not intended to mean [syn: distortion,
       overrefinement, straining, torture, twisting]

Strain \Strain\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Strained; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Straining.] [OF. estraindre, estreindre, F. ['e]treindre,
   L. stringere to draw or bind tight; probably akin to Gr. ? a
   halter, ? that which is squeezwd out, a drop, or perhaps to
   E. strike. Cf. Strangle, Strike, Constrain, District,
   Strait, a. Stress, Strict, Stringent.]
   1. To draw with force; to extend with great effort; to
      stretch; as, to strain a rope; to strain the shrouds of a
      ship; to strain the cords of a musical instrument. "To
      strain his fetters with a stricter care." --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Mech.) To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of
      form or volume, as forces on a beam to bend it.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To exert to the utmost; to ply vigorously.
      [1913 Webster]

            He sweats,
            Strains his young nerves.             --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            They strain their warbling throats
            To welcome in the spring.             --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To stretch beyond its proper limit; to do violence to, in
      the matter of intent or meaning; as, to strain the law in
      order to convict an accused person.
      [1913 Webster]

            There can be no other meaning in this expression,
            however some may pretend to strain it. --Swift.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. To injure by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of
      force; as, the gale strained the timbers of the ship.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. To injure in the muscles or joints by causing to make too
      strong an effort; to harm by overexertion; to sprain; as,
      to strain a horse by overloading; to strain the wrist; to
      strain a muscle.
      [1913 Webster]

            Prudes decayed about may track,
            Strain their necks with looking back. --Swift.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. To squeeze; to press closely.
      [1913 Webster]

            Evander with a close embrace
            Strained his departing friend.        --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent
      effort; to force; to constrain.
      [1913 Webster]

            He talks and plays with Fatima, but his mirth
            Is forced and strained.               --Denham.
      [1913 Webster]

            The quality of mercy is not strained. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   9. To urge with importunity; to press; as, to strain a
      petition or invitation.
      [1913 Webster]

            Note, if your lady strain his entertainment. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   10. To press, or cause to pass, through a strainer, as
       through a screen, a cloth, or some porous substance; to
       purify, or separate from extraneous or solid matter, by
       filtration; to filter; as, to strain milk through cloth.
       [1913 Webster]

   To strain a point, to make a special effort; especially, to
      do a degree of violence to some principle or to one's own
      feelings.

   To strain courtesy, to go beyond what courtesy requires; to
      insist somewhat too much upon the precedence of others; --
      often used ironically. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

Straining \Strain"ing\,
   a. & n. from Strain.
   [1913 Webster]

   Straining piece (Arch.), a short piece of timber in a
      truss, used to maintain the ends of struts or rafters, and
      keep them from slipping. See Illust. of Queen-post.
      [1913 Webster]