/ ˈtenʃn; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ U , C , usually pl. ] tension (between A and B) a situation in which people do not trust each other, or feel unfriendly towards each other, and which may cause them to attack each other :
There is mounting tension along the border.
international / racial / political tensions
2.
[ C , U ] tension (between A and B) a situation in which the fact that there are different needs or interests causes difficulties :
There is often a tension between the aims of the company and the wishes of the employees.
3.
[ U ] a feeling of anxiety and stress that makes it impossible to relax :
nervous tension
We laughed and that helped ease the tension .
➡ note at pressure
4.
[ U ] the feeling of fear and excitement that is created by a writer or a film / movie director :
dramatic tension
As the movie progresses the tension builds.
5.
[ U ] the state of being stretched tight; the extent to which sth is stretched tight :
muscular tension
Adjust the string tension of your tennis racket to suit your style of playing.
—see also surface tension
■ verb
[ vn ] ( technical ) to make a wire, sail, etc. tight and stretched
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (as a medical term denoting a condition or feeling of being physically stretched or strained): from French , or from Latin tensio(n-) , from tendere stretch.