Noun
1. feelings of hostility that are not manifest;
"he could sense her latent hostility to him""the diplomats' first concern was to reduce international tensions"2. (psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense;
"he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension""stress is a vasoconstrictor"3. the physical condition of being stretched or strained;
"it places great tension on the leg muscles""he could feel the tenseness of her body"4. 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"5. (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"6. the action of stretching something tight;
"tension holds the belt in the pulleys"