sprain
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English
Etymology
1601, verb attested 1622. Possibly borrowed from Middle French espraindre (“to press out, to wring”), from Latin exprimere, in which case cognate to express.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /spɹeɪn/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -eɪn
Verb
sprain (third-person singular simple present sprains, present participle spraining, simple past and past participle sprained)
- To weaken, as a joint, ligament, or muscle, by sudden and excessive exertion, as by wrenching; to overstrain, or stretch injuriously, but without luxation
- He sprained his knee after falling off the bicycle.
- 1963 June 8, Hare-Breadth Hurry, spoken by Bugs Bunny:
- Hi! I suppose you're expecting the Roadrunner! Well, he sprained a giblet cornering a sharp coive the other day, uh, so, uh, I'm standing in for him.
Translations
to weaken a joint, ligament, or muscle
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Noun
sprain (plural sprains)
- The act or result of spraining; lameness caused by spraining
- a bad sprain of the wrist
Synonyms
Translations
act or result of spraining
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References
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “sprain”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.