Straynen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. An archaic verb meaning to wander away from a proper course or path, as used in Middle English texts
2. Obsolete spelling of a verb describing the act of drifting or roaming off the intended way
3. A Middle English word for moving aimlessly or going off track, now no longer in common use

Etymology: Latin "stringere" meant "to draw tight," and from it came the Old French verb "estreindre," meaning to press together or constrict. English took this over as the verb "strain," and "straynen" was one of its Middle English spellings, used for restraining or confining something, often by forcing it into a narrow space. The sense soon spread from the physical to the figurative. A rope or muscle could be strained by pulling too hard, and a person could be strained by grief or effort. The modern verb keeps both threads, pressure applied and something pushed past its normal limit.