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Function and Strain

function

noun

  • Mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function. ()
  • What something is used for.
    • usage: "the function of an auger is to bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it"
  • The actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group.
    • usage: "the function of a teacher"; "the government must do its part"; "play its role"
  • A relation such that one thing is dependent on another.
    • usage: "height is a function of age"; "price is a function of supply and demand"
  • A formal or official social gathering or ceremony.
    • usage: "it was a black-tie function"
  • A vaguely specified social event.
    • usage: "the party was quite an affair"; "an occasion arranged to honor the president"; "a seemingly endless round of social functions"
  • A set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program.

verb

  • Perform as expected when applied.
    • usage: "The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still run well"; "This old radio doesn't work anymore"
  • Serve a purpose, role, or function.
    • usage: "The tree stump serves as a table"; "The female students served as a control group"; "This table would serve very well"; "His freedom served him well"; "The table functions as a desk"
  • Perform duties attached to a particular office or place or function.
    • usage: "His wife officiated as his private secretary"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
strain

noun

  • Physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces. (
  • 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
  • A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence.
    • usage: "she was humming an air from Beethoven"
  • Psychology) nervousness resulting from mental stress. (
    • usage: "his responsibilities were a constant strain"; "the mental strain of staying alert hour after hour was too much for him"
  • A special variety of domesticated animals within a species.
    • usage: "he experimented on a particular breed of white rats"; "he created a new strain of sheep"
  • Biology) a group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups. (
    • usage: "a new strain of microorganisms"
  • Injury to a muscle (often caused by overuse); results in swelling and pain.
  • The general meaning or substance of an utterance.
    • usage: "although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument"
  • An effortful attempt to attain a goal.
  • An intense or violent exertion.
  • The act of singing.
    • usage: "with a shout and a song they marched up to the gates"

verb

  • To exert much effort or energy.
    • usage: "straining our ears to hear"
  • Test the limits of.
    • usage: "You are trying my patience"
  • Use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity.
    • usage: "He really extended himself when he climbed Kilimanjaro"; "Don't strain your mind too much"
  • Separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements.
    • usage: "sift the flour"
  • Cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious.
    • usage: "he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up"
  • Become stretched or tense or taut.
    • usage: "the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed;" "the rope strained when the weight was attached"
  • Remove by passing through a filter.
    • usage: "filter out the impurities"
  • Rub through a strainer or process in an electric blender.
    • usage: "puree the vegetables for the baby"
  • Alter the shape of (something) by stress.
    • usage: "His body was deformed by leprosy"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Function and Strain in Power Thesaurus