Emily Dickinson Lexicon

TENS'ILE, a.

Capable of extension. Bacon.

TEN'SION, n. [Fr. from L. tensio, tendo.]

1. The act of stretching or straining; as, the tension of the muscles.
2. The state of being stretched or strained to stiffness; or the state of being bent or strained; as, different degrees of tension in chords give different sounds; the greater the tension, the more acute the sound.
3. Distension.

TENS'IVE, a.

Giving the sensation of tension, stiffness or contraction; as, a tenstve pain. Floyer.

TEN'SOME, a. [See TENDSOME.]

TENS'OR, n.

In anatomy, a muscle that extends or stretches a part.

TEN'SURE, n.

The same as Tension, and not used. Bacon.

TENT, n.¹ [W. tent, from ten, tyn, stretched; Fr. tente; Sp. tienda; L. tentorium, from tendo, to stretch.]

1. A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of canvas or other coarse cloth, stretched and sustained by poles; used for sheltering persons from the weather, particularly soiers camp. The wandering Arabs and Tartars lodge interts. The Israelites lodged in tents forty years, while they were ia the desert.
2. In surgery, a roll of lint or linen, used to dilate an opening ia the flesh, or to prevent the healing of an opening from which matter or other fluid is discharged. Cyc.

TENT, n.² [Sp. tinto, deep colored, from L. tinctus.]

A kind of wine of a deep red color, chiefly from Galicia or Malaga in Spain.

TENT, v.i.

To lodge as in a tent; to tabernacle. Shak.

TENT, v.t.

1. To probe; to search as with a tent; as, to tent a wound. I'll tent him to the quick. Shak.
2. To keep open with a tent. Wiseman.

TEN'TA-CLE, n. [Tech. L. tentacula.]

A filiform process or organ, simple or branched, on the bodies of various animals of the Linnman class Venues, and of Cuvier's Mollusca, Annelides, Echinodennata, Actinic, Me, date, Polypi, &c. either an organ of feeling, prehension or motioa, sometimes round the mouth, sometimes on other parts of the body.

TEN-TAC'U-LAR, a.

Pertaining to tentacles.

TEN-TA-CU-LIF'ER-OUS, a. [L. tentaculum and fero, to bear.]

Producing tentacula or tentacles. Kirby.

TENT'AGE, n.

An encampment. [Unusual.] Drayton.

TEN-TA'TION, n. [Fr. from L. tentatio; tento, to try.]

Trial; temptation. [Little used.] Brown.

TENT'A-TIVE, a. [Fr.]

Trying; essaying.

TENT'A-TIVE, n.

An essay; Berkeley.

TENT'ED, a.

1. Covered or furnished with tents; as soldiers.
2. Covered with tents; as, a tented field.

TENT'ER, or TENT'ER-HOOK, n. [L. tendo, tentus, to stretch.]

A hook for stretching cloth on a frame. To be on the tenters; to be on the stretch; to be in distress, uneasiness or suspense. Hudibras.

TENT'ER, v.i.

To admit extension. Woolen cloths will tenter. Bacon.

TENT'ER, v.t.

To hang or stretch on tenters. Bacon.

TENT'ER-ED, pp.

Stretched or hung on tenter.

TENT'ER-GROUND, n.

Ground on which tenter are erected.

TENT'ER-ING, ppr.

Stretching or hanging on tenter.

TENTH, a. [from ten.]

The ordinal of ten; the first after the ninth.