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tense |
5 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Tense \Tense\, a. [L. tensus, p. p. of tendere to stretch. See {Tend} to move and cf {Toise}.] Stretched tightly; strained to stiffness; rigid; not lax; as a tense fiber. The temples were sunk, her forehead was tense, and a fatal paleness was upon her --Goldsmith. -- {Tense"ly}, adv -- {Tense"ness}, n. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Tense \Tense\, n. [OF. tens, properly, time, F. temps time, tense. See {Temporal} of time, and cf {Thing}.] (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. Note: The primary simple tenses are three: those which express time past, present, and future; but these admit of modifications, which differ in different languages. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: tense adj 1: in or of a state of physical or nervous tension [ant: {relaxed}] 2: (phonetics) pronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in `beat') [ant: {lax}] 3: taut or rigid; stretched tight; "tense piano strings" [ant: {lax}] n : a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time v 1: stretch or force to the limit; "strain the rope" [syn: {strain}] 2: increase the tension on "tense a rope" 3: become tense or tenser; "He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room" [syn: {tense up}] [ant: {relax}] 4: make tense [syn: {strain}, {tense up}] [ant: {relax}, {relax}] From Jargon File (4.2.3, 23 NOV 2000) [jargon]: tense adj Of programs, very clever and efficient. A tense piece of code often got that way because it was highly {bum}med, 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. From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: tense Of programs, very clever and efficient. A tense piece of code often got that way because it was highly {bum}med, 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. [{Jargon File}]
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