strain

noun

1
the act of singing
with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates
2
an intense or violent exertion
3
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
4
the general meaning or substance of an utterance
although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument
5
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
she was humming an air from Beethoven
6
a special variety of domesticated animals within a species
he experimented on a particular breed of white rats
he created a new strain of sheep
7
(biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups
a new strain of microorganisms
8
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
9
injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain
10
(psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress
his responsibilities were a constant strain
the mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him
11
difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension
she endured the stresses and strains of life
he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- R.J.Samuelson

1
cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious
he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up

Also useful for “strain”:Unscrambler— Rearrange the letters in “strain”