internal stress

American  

noun

1. (in metal or glass pieces, or the like) a stress existing within the material as a result of thermal changes, having been worked, or irregularity of molecular structure.

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Etymology

Origin of internal stress

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

As stress builds inside the cells, they activate internal stress responses that ultimately lead to cell death.

From Science Daily • Jan. 14, 2026

Cameo’s unsuccessful lurches into new products and growing internal stress put new scrutiny on Mr. Galanis and his unfocused management style.

From New York Times • Oct. 20, 2023

In theory, quenching with ice would cool the metals faster, making this atomic lattice even more durable—though the effect would require very precise temperature control to prevent shattering caused by internal stress.

From Scientific American • Feb. 10, 2022

Would that avoid the internal stress of trying to cover them up and hope they go unnoticed?

From Slate • Sep. 22, 2020

The nuclei of these unstable "isotopes," as they are called, are "uncomfortable" with the particular mixture of nuclear particles comprising them, and they decrease this internal stress through the process of radioactive decay.

From Worldwide Effects of Nuclear War: Some Perspectives by U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency