Tension

1) The pressure within a vessel, such as blood pressure: the pressure within the blood vessels. For example, elevated blood pressure is referred to as hypertension. 2) Stress, especially stress that is translated into clenched scalp muscles and bottled-up emotions or anxiety. This is the type of tension blamed for tension headaches.

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1. The act of stretching. 2. The condition of being stretched or tense, or a stretching or pulling force. 3. The partial pressure of a gas, especially that of a gas dissolved in a liquid such as blood. 4. Mental, emotional, or nervous strain; strained relations or barely controlled hostility between persons or groups. [L. tensio, fr. tendo, pp. tensus, to stretch]

- arterial t. the blood pressure within an artery.

- interfacial surface t. the t. or resistance to separation possessed by the film of liquid between two well-adapted surfaces, as of the thin film of saliva between the denture base and the tissues.

- ocular t. (Tn) resistance of the tunics of the eye to deformation; it can be estimated digitally or measured by means of a tonometer.

- premenstrual t. SYN: premenstrual syndrome.

- surface t. (γ, σ) the expression of intermolecular attraction at the surface of a liquid, in contact with air or another gas, a solid, or another immiscible liquid, tending to pull the molecules of the liquid inward from the surface; dimensional formula : mt^–2.

- tissue t. a theoretical condition of equilibrium or balance between the tissues and cells whereby overaction of any part is restrained by the pull of the mass.

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ten·sion 'ten-chən n

1 a) the act or action of stretching or the condition or degree of being stretched to stiffness <muscular \tension>

b) STRESS (1b)

2 a) either of two balancing forces causing or tending to cause extension

b) the stress resulting from the elongation of an elastic body

3) inner striving, unrest, or imbalance often with physiological indication of emotion

4) PARTIAL PRESSURE

ten·sion·al 'tench-nəl, -ən-əl adj

ten·sion·less 'ten-chən-ləs adj

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ten·sion (tenґshən) [L. tensio; Gr. tonos] 1. the act of stretching. 2. the condition of being stretched or strained; the degree to which anything is stretched or strained. 3. the partial pressure of a gas in a fluid, e.g., of oxygen in blood. 4. voltage. 5. mental, emotional, or nervous strain. 6. hostility between two or more individuals or groups.