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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

stress       (strěs)  Pronunciation Key  n.   Importance, significance, or emphasis placed on something. See Synonyms at emphasis. Linguistics The relative force with which a sound or syllable is spoken. The emphasis placed on the sound or syllable spoken most forcefully in a word or phrase. The relative force of sound or emphasis given a syllable or word in accordance with a metrical pattern. A syllable having strong relative emphasis in a metrical pattern. An applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body. The internal resistance of a body to such an applied force or system of forces. A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. A stimulus or circumstance causing such a condition. The relative force of sound or emphasis given a syllable or word in accordance with a metrical pattern. A syllable having strong relative emphasis in a metrical pattern. An applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body. The internal resistance of a body to such an applied force or system of forces. A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. A stimulus or circumstance causing such a condition. Accent or a mark representing such emphasis or force. Physics An applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body. The internal resistance of a body to such an applied force or system of forces. A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. A stimulus or circumstance causing such a condition. A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. A stimulus or circumstance causing such a condition. A state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain: "He presided over the economy during the period of its greatest stress and danger" (Robert J. Samuelson). tr.v.   stressed, stress·ing, stress·es To place emphasis on: stressed basic fire safety. To give prominence to (a syllable or word) in pronouncing or in accordance with a metrical pattern. To subject to physical or mental pressure, tension, or strain. To subject to mechanical pressure or force. To construct so as to withstand a specified stress. Phrasal Verb(s): stress out Informal To subject to or undergo extreme stress, as from working too much. [Middle English stresse, hardship, partly from destresse (from Old French; see distress) and partly from Old French estrece, narrowness, oppression (from Vulgar Latin *strictia, from Latin strictus, past participle of stringere, to draw tight; see strait).]

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

STRESS       (strěs)  Pronunciation Key  n.   A computer language designed for use in solving structural analysis problems in civil engineering. [str(uctural) e(ngineering) s(ystems) s(olver).]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
stress  (n.)

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
stress  (v.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

stress
noun
1.	the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch); "he put the stress on the wrong syllable"
2.	(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense; "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor" [syn: tension]
3.	special emphasis attached to something; "the stress was more on accuracy than on speed"
4.	difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension; "she endured the stresses and strains of life"; "he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- R.J.Samuelson
5.	(physics) force that produces strain on a physical body; "the intensity of stress is expressed in units of force divided by units of area"
verb
1.	to stress, single out as important; "Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet"
2.	put stress on; utter with an accent; "In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word"
3.	test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!" [syn: try]

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

stress       (strěs)  Pronunciation Key  The force per unit area applied to an object. Objects subject to stress tend to become distorted or deformed. Compare strain. See also axial stress, shear stress., See more at Hooke's law. A physiologic reaction by an organism to an uncomfortable or unfamiliar physical or psychological stimulus. Biological changes result from stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, including a heightened state of alertness, anxiety, increased heart rate, and sweating. The stimulus or circumstance causing such a reaction.

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
stress

In physics, the internal resistance of an object to an external force that tends to deform it.

[Chapter:] Physical Sciences and Mathematics

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
stress

A physical factor, such as injury, or mental state, such as anxiety, that disturbs the body's normal state of functioning. Stress may contribute to the development of some illnesses, including heart disease and cancer.

Note: The term stress also refers to the physical and mental state produced in the body when it is influenced by such factors: “The stress of the new job was too much for Tim, so he requested reassignment to his old position in the company.”

[Chapter:] Medicine and Health

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

STRESS
STRuctual Engineering Systems Solver.
A system for structural analysis problems in Civil Engineering. STRESS was superseded by STRUDL.
["STRESS: A User's Manual", S.J. Fenves et al, MIT Press 1964].
[Sammet 1969, p. 612].
(1995-01-31)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Stress

Dis*tress"\, n. [OE. destresse, distresse, OF. destresse, destrece, F. d['e]tresse, OF. destrecier to distress, (assumed) LL. districtiare, fr. L. districtus, p. p. of distringere. See Distrain, and cf. Stress.]

1. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.

Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress. --Shak.

2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery.

Affliction's sons are brothers in distress. --Burns.

3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.

4. (Law) (a) The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc. (b) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction. --Bouvier. Kent. Burrill.

If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle. --Spenser.

The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for. --Blackstone.

Abuse of distress. (Law) See under Abuse.

Syn: Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish; grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See Affliction.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

stress

Lat"er*al\, a. [L. lateralis, fr. latus, lateris, side: cf. F. lat['e]ral.]

1. Of or pertaining to the sides; as, the lateral walls of a house; the lateral branches of a tree.

2. (Anat.) Lying at, or extending toward, the side; away from the mesial plane; external; -- opposed to mesial.

3. Directed to the side; as, a lateral view of a thing.

Lateral cleavage (Crystallog.), cleavage parallel to the lateral planes.

Lateral equation (Math.), an equation of the first degree. [Obs.]

Lateral line (Anat.), in fishes, a line of sensory organs along either side of the body, often marked by a distinct line of color.

Lateral pressure or stress (Mech.), a pressure or stress at right angles to the length, as of a beam or bridge; -- distinguished from longitudinal pressure or stress.

Lateral strength (Mech.), strength which resists a tendency to fracture arising from lateral pressure.

Lateral system (Bridge Building), the system of horizontal braces (as between two vertical trusses) by which lateral stiffness is secured.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Stress

Stress\, v. t. 1. To subject to phonetic stress; to accent.

2. To place emphasis on; to make emphatic; emphasize.

Acronym Finder - Cite This Source - Share This

STRESS

STRESS: in Acronym Finder