(tens) adjective
1. Stretched tight; taut.
2. Under mental or nervous strain; strained.
3. Phonet. Pronounced with the tongue and its muscles taut, as (ē) and (); narrow: opposed to lax.
—v.t. & v.i. tensed, tens·ing To make or become strained or drawn tight. [<L tensus, pp. of tendere stretch]
—tense′ly adverb
—tense′ness noun

(tens) noun
A form of a verb that relates it to time viewed either as finite past, present, or future, or as non–finite.
—sequence of tenses In inflected languages, the customary choice of tense for a verb that follows another in a sentence, particularly in reported or indirect discourse. ♦ The general principle of sequence of tenses İn English is that present follows present and past follows past. Thus, the tense of the subordinate clause tends to shift back to agree with the tense of the main verb. “He wants to go,” becomes, in indirect discourse, “They said that he wanted to go.” However, if continued, habitual, future, or universal action is expressed, the present tense may be retained in the subordinate clause: They told me that he is still in town; Columbus proved that the world is round. The present tense is also retained in the subordinate clause for emphasis: They just learned he is going after all. In subordinate clauses of purpose the general rule of tense sequence holds true: We are working so that we can go to Europe; We worked so that we could go to Europe. In conditional sentences expressing a simple fact or open question, the main and subordinate verbs remain independent: If he said that, I can't prove it. However, sequence of tenses is strictly observed in a highly improbable or contrary–to–fact statement. Time present is then expressed by the use of the past tense: If he had any sense, he wouldn't drive that car. Time past is expressed by the past perfect tense: If I had had my wits about me, I would have telephoned immediately. [<OF tens <L tempus time, tense]