English Explanatory Dictionary

tension

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The condition of being held in a state between two or more forces, which are acting in opposition to each other.
  2. A psychological state of being tense.
  3. A feeling of nervousness, excitement, or fear that is created in a movie, book, etc.; suspense.
  4. The state of an elastic object which is stretched in a way which increases its length.
  5. A force transmitted through a rope, string, cable, or similar object (used with prepositions on, in, or of, e.g., "The tension in the cable is 1000 N", to convey that the same magnitude of force applies to objects attached to both ends).
  6. Voltage.
verb
  1. To place an object in tension, to pull or place strain on.

Pronunciation

/ˈtɛnʃən/ /ˈtɛnʃn̩/ tĕnʹ-shn LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-tension.wav

Word forms

tension tensions tensioning tensioned

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ten- Proto-Indo-European *tend-der. Proto-Italic *tendō Latin tendō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin tēnsiōder. Middle French tensionbor. English tension Borrowed from Middle French tension, from Latin tēnsiō.

Related words

tensile

Derived words

tensional tensioner tensionless antitension hypertension hypotension normotension post-tension pretension thermotension applied tension high tension high-tension Hubble tension premenstrual tension sexual tension strategy of tension surface tension tension headache tension myoneural syndrome tension myositis syndrome tension pneumo tension rod tension wood tension wrench time under tension
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