TEN'SION, noun [Latin 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.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI