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tension

[ten-shuh n]
noun
  1. the act of stretching or straining.
  2. the state of being stretched or strained.
  3. mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement.
  4. a strained relationship between individuals, groups, nations, etc.
  5. (not in current use) pressure, especially of a vapor.
  6. Mechanics.
    1. the longitudinal deformation of an elastic body that results in its elongation.
    2. the force producing such deformation.
  7. Electricity. electromotive force; potential.
  8. Machinery. a device for stretching or pulling something.
  9. a device to hold the proper tension on the material being woven in a loom.
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verb (used with object)
  1. 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 tēnsiōn- (stem of tēnsiō) a stretching. See tense1, -ion
Related formsten·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. 2018

Examples from the Web for tensional

Historical Examples

  • The Tensional Strength of timber for safety may be taken at 2000 lbs.

    Instructions on Modern American Bridge Building

    G. B. N. Tower

British Dictionary definitions for tensional

tension

noun
  1. the act of stretching or the state or degree of being stretched
  2. mental or emotional strain; stress
  3. a situation or condition of hostility, suspense, or uneasiness
  4. physics a force that tends to produce an elongation of a body or structure
  5. physics
    1. voltage, electromotive force, or potential difference
    2. (in combination)high-tension; low-tension
  6. a device for regulating the tension in a part, string, thread, etc, as in a sewing machine
  7. knitting the degree of tightness or looseness with which a person knits
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Derived Formstensional, adjectivetensionless, adjective

Word Origin

C16: from Latin tensiō, 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

Word Origin and History for tensional

tension

n.

1530s, "a stretched condition," from Middle French tension, from Latin tensionem (nominative tensio) "a stretching" (in Medieval Latin "a struggle, contest"), noun of state from tensus, past participle of tendere "to stretch," from PIE root *ten- "stretch" (see tenet). The sense of "nervous strain" is first recorded 1763. The meaning "electromotive force" (in high-tension wires) is recorded from 1802.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
tensional in Medicine

tension

(tĕn′shən)
n.
  1. The act or process of stretching something tight.
  2. The condition of so being stretched.
  3. A force tending to stretch or elongate something.
  4. The partial pressure of a gas, especially dissolved in a liquid such as blood.
  5. Mental, emotional, or nervous strain.
  6. Barely controlled hostility or a strained relationship between people or groups.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
tensional in Science

tension

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