tense

Etymology 1

From Middle English tens, from Old French tens (modern French temps), from Latin tempus. Doublet of tempo and tempus.

noun

1. (grammar, countable) Any of the forms of a verb which distinguish when an action or state of being occurs or exists.
   The basic tenses in English are present, past, and future.
2. (linguistics, grammar, countable) An inflected form of a verb that indicates tense.
   English only has a present tense and a past tense; it has no future tense.
   In ſo moche that if any verbe be of the thyꝛde coniugation I ſet out all his rotes and tenſes[…] 18 July 1530, Iohan Palſgrave, “The Introduction”, in Leſclarciſſement de la langue francoyſe[…], London: Richard Pynſon, Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, page 32; reprinted as Lesclarcissement de la langue françoyse, Genève: Slatkine Reprints, 1972
3. (linguistics, uncountable) The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists.
   Dyirbal verbs are not inflected for tense.

verb

1. (grammar, transitive) To apply a tense to.
   tensing a verb

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin tēnsus, one form of the past participle of tendō (“stretch”). Ultimately identical to Etymology 1.

adj

1. Showing signs of stress or strain; not relaxed.
   You need to relax, all this overtime and stress is making you tense.
2. Pulled taut, without any slack.

verb

1. (transitive) To make tense.
2. (intransitive) To become tense.