tense 1  (t ĕns)
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adj. tens·er, tens·est 1. Tightly stretched; taut. See Synonyms at stiff, tight. 2. a. In a state of nervous tension or mental strain: was very tense before the exam. b. Causing or characterized by nervous tension or mental strain: a tense standoff between border patrols. 3. Linguistics Enunciated with taut muscles, as the sound (ē) in keen. tr. & intr.v. tensed, tens·ing, tens·es To make or become tense.
tensely adv. tenseness n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
tense 2  (t ĕns)
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n. Grammar 1. A property of verbs in which the time of the action or state, as well as its continuance or completion, is indicated or expressed. 2. A category or set of verb forms that indicate or express the time, such as past, present, or future, of the action or state.
[Middle English tens, from Old French, time, from Latin tempus.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
Semitic Roots
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
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