Tension

English Meaning

The act of stretching or straining; the state of being stretched or strained to stiffness; the state of being bent strained; as, the tension of the muscles, tension of the larynx.

1. The act or process of stretching something tight.
2. The condition of so being stretched; tautness.
3. A force tending to stretch or elongate something.
4. A measure of such a force: a tension on the cable of 50 pounds.
5. Mental, emotional, or nervous strain: working under great tension to make a deadline.
6. Barely controlled hostility or a strained relationship between people or groups: the dangerous tension between opposing military powers.
7. A balanced relation between strongly opposing elements: "the continuing, and essential, tension between two of the three branches of government, judicial and legislative” ( Haynes Johnson).
8. The interplay of conflicting elements in a piece of literature, especially a poem.
9. A device for regulating tautness, especially a device that controls the tautness of thread on a sewing machine or loom.
10. Electricity Voltage or potential; electromotive force.
11. To subject to tension; tighten.