Meanings
nountenter (plural tenters)
plural tenters
- A framework upon which cloth is stretched and dried.
Synonyms: tenterframe
- engineeringA kind of governor, or regulating device.
verbtenter (third-person singular simple present tenters, present participle tentering, simple past and past participle tentered)
present singular third person tenters · participle present tentering · participle past tentered · past tentered
- transitiveTo stretch cloth on such a framework.
- intransitiveTo admit extension; to be stretchable.
Woollen cloth will tenter, linen scarcely.
1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA framework upon which cloth is stretched and dried.
Similar
Also see
Origin
- Latintentorium
- Englishtenter
Via Old French, perhaps from Latin tentorium.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian рамка, разпънка
- рамка (ramka)a framework upon which cloth is stretched and dried
- разпънка (razpănka)a framework upon which cloth is stretched and dried
Hungarian feszítőkeret, felügyelő
- feszítőkereta framework upon which cloth is stretched and dried
- felügyelőone who takes care of, or tends, machines in a factory; a kind of assistant foreman
- gépkezelőone who takes care of, or tends, machines in a factory; a kind of assistant foreman
- gépészone who takes care of, or tends, machines in a factory; a kind of assistant foreman
- gépmesterone who takes care of, or tends, machines in a factory; a kind of assistant foreman
- művezetőone who takes care of, or tends, machines in a factory; a kind of assistant foreman
- kifeszítto stretch cloth on such a framework
- keretre húzto stretch cloth on such a framework
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with tenter
centerentercentrementorinventorpresenterrenterreenterventerstentortormentoraugmenterpreventerdissenterfermenterindenterdementorfermentoraccentorincenterabsenterassenterbarycentrecementer
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
tenter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tenter
MLA
“tenter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tenter. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tenter,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tenter.
Source: tenter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.