Tensile
[TEN-siyl]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, early 17th century
1.
Relating to tension.
2.
Capable of being drawn out or stretched.
Examples of Tensile in a sentence
"The flooding increased the tensile forces and caused cracks in the foundation."
"The tensile quality of steel allowed for the construction of high-rises."
About Tensile
In Latin, the verb "tendere" means "to stretch." It evolved into an adjective, "tensilis," in medieval Latin. We use "tensile" as an adjective in English mainly in technical contexts. It can describe tension related to physics or a material capable of being stretched.
Did you Know?
A tensile structure is an architectural construction built using only tension with no compression or bending. Recognizable tensile structures include the O2 in London, the Denver International Airport, and Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.
