an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists); "he may accomplish by craft in the long run what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one"
a turbulent state resulting in injuries and destruction etc.
the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances; "he ignored their teases"; "his ribbing was gentle but persistent"
someone given to teasing (as by mocking or stirring curiosity)
ruffle (one's hair) by combing towards the ends towards the scalp, for a full effect
harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie"
mock or make fun of playfully; "the flirting man teased the young woman"
separate the fibers of; "tease wool"
disentangle and raise the fibers of; "tease wool"
raise the nap of (fabrics)
tear into pieces; "tease tissue for microscopic examinations"
annoy persistently; "The children teased the boy because of his stammer"
to arouse hope, desire, or curiosity without satisfying them; "The advertisement is intended to tease the customers"; "She has a way of teasing men with her flirtatious behavior"
being of crucial importance; "a pivotal event"; "Its pivotal location has also exposed it to periodic invasions"- Henry Kissinger; "the polar events of this study"; "a polar principal"
the action of stretching something tight; "tension holds the belt in the pulleys"
(physics) a stress that produces an elongation of an elastic physical body; "the direction of maximum tension moves asymptotically toward the direction of the shear"
a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature); "there is a tension created between narrative time and movie time"; "there is a tension between these approaches to understanding history"
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense; "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor"
the physical condition of being stretched or strained; "it places great tension on the leg muscles"; "he could feel the tenseness of her body"
in constant change; "his opinions are in flux"; "the newness and flux of the computer industry"
a flow or discharge
a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event) preceding the establishment of a new direction of action; "the flux following the death of the emperor"
excessive discharge of liquid from a cavity or organ (as in watery diarrhea)
a substance added to molten metals to bond with impurities that can then be readily removed
the rate of flow of energy or particles across a given surface