STR
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Short tandem repeat |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Business & Finance, Texting & Internet Slang, Geography & Places |
| Also written | Str. |
STR has five meanings. The most common are Short tandem repeat (genetics) and Short-term rental (real estate & mortgage); it can also stand for Short-term relationship, Strength and Strait.
Meanings of STR at a glance
| # | STR stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Short tandem repeat | Science & Engineering › Genetics |
| 2 | Short-term rental | Business & Finance › Real Estate & Mortgage |
| 3 | Short-term relationship | Texting & Internet Slang › Dating and Relationship |
| 4 | Strength | Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang |
| 5 | Strait | Geography & Places › Geographic Feature |
1. Short tandem repeat
Science & Engineering · Genetics Abbreviations
Stretch of DNA in which a short motif of 2 to 6 bases is repeated several times in a row, with repeat counts that vary widely between people. STRs are the markers of forensic DNA profiling, and expansions of certain repeats cause diseases such as Huntington's.
Example: The suspect's profile matched the crime-scene sample at all 20 CODIS STR loci.
Also called microsatellites. The FBI's CODIS database has used 20 core STR loci since 2017, and Y-chromosome STRs are used in paternal genealogy. Huntington's disease is caused by 36 or more CAG repeats in the HTT gene, and longer repeats tend to cause earlier onset.
2. Short-term rental
Business & Finance · Real Estate & Mortgage Abbreviations
Furnished home or room rented for brief stays, typically under 30 days, through platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Many cities regulate STRs through permits, caps, taxes and primary-residence requirements.
Example: The HOA prohibits STRs, so we can only rent the condo for a year at a time.
New York City's registration law, enforced from 2023, sharply reduced listings for stays under 30 days. Investors compare STR returns with long-term rentals (LTRs), weighing higher income against management costs and regulatory risk.
3. Short-term relationship
Texting & Internet Slang · Dating and Relationship Abbreviations
Brief or casual romantic relationship without long-term commitment, or a stated preference for one, often written on dating profiles by people who are traveling, newly single or only in town temporarily.
Example: Just moved here for a six-month contract, open to an STR.
Used mainly in dating-app bios and online personals, where stating intentions up front helps avoid mismatched expectations. Contrasts with LTR (long-term relationship). In gaming and tabletop RPGs, STR means the strength stat, which context makes clear.
4. Strength
Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations
Ability score measuring physical power in Dungeons & Dragons and many RPGs, affecting melee attacks, carrying capacity and athletics checks.
Example: My barbarian dumped intelligence to max out STR at 18.
D&D uses six ability scores: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS and CHA, typically ranging from 3 to 18 for starting characters, with a modifier equal to the score minus 10, divided by two and rounded down. "Dumping" a stat means leaving it low on purpose. In German addresses, Str. abbreviates Strasse (street).
5. Strait (Str.)
Geography & Places · Geographic Feature Abbreviations
Labels narrow waterways on maps and in atlases, as in Bering Str. or Str. of Gibraltar.
Example: Tankers crowd the Str. of Malacca between Malaysia and Sumatra.
In German addresses Str. means Straße, street, as in Hauptstr. 5, an unrelated word. The Strait of Gibraltar is about 14 kilometres wide at its narrowest.
Related abbreviations
More genetics abbreviations
- SNP – Single-nucleotide polymorphism
- snRNA – Small nuclear RNA
- SNV – Single-nucleotide variant
- ssDNA – Single-stranded DNA
- T2T – Telomere-to-telomere
- TF – Transcription factor
- UTR – Untranslated region
- VNTR – Variable number tandem repeat
See all 57 genetics abbreviations →