Noun
1. a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
Verb
1. stretch or force to the limit;
"strain the rope"2. increase the tension on;
"tense a rope"3. become tense or tenser;
"He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room"4. make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious;
Adjective
1. in or of a state of physical or nervous tension
2. pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat')
3. taut or rigid; stretched tight;
"tense piano strings"