strain

About 24.90 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun Race; lineage, pedigree.
2. noun A particular variety of a microbe, virus, or other organism, usually a taxonomically infraspecific one.

   They say this year's flu virus is a particularly virulent strain.

3. noun Hereditary character, quality, tendency, or disposition.

   There is a strain of madness in her family.

4. noun Any sustained note or movement; a song; a distinct portion of an ode or other poem; also, the pervading note, or burden, of a song, poem, etc.
5. noun Language that is eloquent, poetic, or otherwise heightened.

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

6. noun A kind or sort (of person etc.).
7. noun Treasure.
8. noun The blood-vessel in the yolk of an egg.

Similar words

form variant variety extend stock pains reach tense tense up nisus

Often followed by

of on and in is rate to the energy

Word family

strained straining strains stresses and strains under a lot of strain