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tensor

 [ten-ser, -sawr]   Origin

ten·sor

   [ten-ser, -sawr]
noun
1.
Anatomy. a muscle that stretches or tightens some part of the body.
2.
Mathematics. a mathematical entity with components that change in a particular way in a transformation from one coordinate system to another.
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Origin:
1695–1705; < Neo-Latin: stretcher, equivalent to Latin tend(ere) to stretch (see tend1) + -tor -tor, with dt > s

Related forms
ten·so·ri·al  [ten-sawr-ee-uhl, -sohr-] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Tensor is always a great word to know.
So is tendon. Does it mean:
the inner of the two bones of the leg, that extend from the knee to the ankle; the shinbone
a cord or band of dense, tough, inelastic, white, fibrous tissue, serving to connect a muscle with a bone or part; sinew
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Collins
World English Dictionary
tensor (ˈtɛnsə, -sɔː)
 
—n
1.  anatomy any muscle that can cause a part to become firm or tense
2.  maths a set of components, functions of the coordinates of any point in space, that transform linearly between coordinate systems. For three-dimensional space there are 3r components, where r is the rank. A tensor of zero rank is a scalar, of rank one, a vector
 
[C18: from New Latin, literally: a stretcher]
 
tensorial
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

tensor
muscle that stretches a part, 1704, Mod.L., agent noun of L. tendere "to stretch" (see tenet).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

tensor ten·sor (těn'sər, -sôr')
n.
A muscle that stretches or tightens a body part.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
tensor   (těn'sər, -sôr')  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A structure of quantities arranged by zero or more indices, such as a scalar (zero indices), a vector (one index), or a matrix (two indices), which is invariant under transformations of coordinates.

  2. Any of various muscles that stretch or tighten a body part, as the muscle that acts to tense the soft palate, called the tensor palati.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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