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tension

[ ten-shuhn ]
/ ˈtɛn ʃən /
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See synonyms for: tension / tensions on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used with object)
to subject (a cable, belt, tendon, or the like) to tension, especially for a specific purpose.
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Origin of tension

1525–35; <Latin tēnsiƍn- (stem of tēnsiƍ) a stretching. See tense1, -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM tension

ten·sion·al, adjectiveten·sion·less, adjectiveo·ver·ten·sion, nounsu·per·ten·sion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tension in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tension

tension
/ (ˈtɛnʃən) /

noun

Derived forms of tension

tensional, adjectivetensionless, adjective

Word Origin for tension

C16: from Latin tensiƍ, from tendere to strain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for tension

tension
[ tĕnâ€Čshən ]

A force that tends to stretch or elongate something.
An electrical potential (voltage), especially as measured in electrical components such as transformers or power lines involved in the transmission of electrical power.
The American HeritageŸ Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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