Tension - Definition

n 1: (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or
suspense; "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension";
"stress is a vasoconstrictor" [syn: tension, tenseness,
stress]
2: the physical condition of being stretched or strained; "it
places great tension on the leg muscles"; "he could feel the
tenseness of her body" [syn: tension, tensity,
tenseness, tautness]
3: a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or
tendencies (especially in art or literature); "there is a
tension created between narrative time and movie time";
"there is a tension between these approaches to understanding
history"
4: (physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic
physical body; "the direction of maximum tension moves
asymptotically toward the direction of the shear"
5: feelings of hostility that are not manifest; "he could sense
her latent hostility to him"; "the diplomats' first concern
was to reduce international tensions" [syn: latent
hostility, tension]
6: the action of stretching something tight; "tension holds the
belt in the pulleys"