tenter

tenter Definition

ten·ter (ten′tər)

noun

a frame on which cloth is stretched after having been milled, so as to dry evenly without shrinking
Obsolete a tenterhook

Etymology: ME tentoure, altered (infl. by tent, tent) < MFr tendëure < tendre, to stretch: see tend

transitive verb

to stretch (cloth) on a tenter or tenters

Etymology: ME tenteren

tenter Usage Examples

Object

gear: Overhead can be seen three sets of cast iron tentering gear, one set per pair of millstones.

Converse of object

call: Behind the factory on the hill you can see the long strips of finished flannel stretched out to dry on frames called tenters.

Modifies a noun

frame: The tenter frame used for drying the finished cloth to a uniform width when the weather allowed, is still in an adjacent field.

Noun used with modifier

engine: Edward Sissons engine tenter at the Park Pit was charged by Mr. Wells of neglecting rules 51 and 52 of the pit.

Browse dictionary entries near tenter