n. | 1. | (Gram.) One of the forms which a verb takes by inflection or by adding auxiliary words, so as to indicate the time of the action or event signified; the modification which verbs undergo for the indication of time. |
a. | 1. | Stretched tightly; strained to stiffness; rigid; not lax; |
Noun | 1. | tense - a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time |
Verb | 1. | tense - stretch or force to the limit; "strain the rope" Synonyms: strain |
2. | tense - increase the tension on; "tense a rope" | |
3. | tense - become tense or tenser; "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room" Synonyms: tense up | |
4. | tense - make tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious; | |
Adj. | 1. | tense - in or of a state of physical or nervous tension |
2. | tense - pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat') Antonyms: lax - pronounced with muscles relatively relaxed (e.g., the vowel sound in `bet') | |
3. | tense - taut or rigid; stretched tight; "tense piano strings" Antonyms: lax - not taut or rigid; not stretched or held tight; "a lax rope" |
TENSE. A term used in, grammar to denote the distinction of time.
2. The acts of a court of justice ought to be in the present tense; as,
"praeceptum est," not "preaceptum fuit;" but the acts of, the party may be
in the preterperfect tense, as "venit, et protulit hic in curia quandum
querelam suam;" and the continuances are in the preterperfect tense; as,
"venerunt," not "veniunt." 1 Mod. 81.
3. The contract of marriage should be made in language in the present
tense. 6 Binn. Rep. 405. Vide 1 Saund. 393, n. 1.
tense - Of programs, very clever and efficient. A tense piece of code often got that way because it was highly bummed, but sometimes it was just based on a great idea. A comment in a clever routine by Mike Kazar, once a grad-student hacker at CMU: "This routine is so tense it will bring tears to your eyes." A tense programmer is one who produces tense code. |