the quality of being enduring and free from change or variation; "early mariners relied on the constancy of the trade winds"
faithfulness and dependability in personal attachments (especially sexual fidelity)
(psychology) the tendency for perceived objects to give rise to very similar perceptual experiences in spite of wide variations in the conditions of observation
the erosive process of washing away soil or gravel by water (as from a roadway); "from the house they watched the washout of their newly seeded lawn by the water"
the channel or break produced by erosion of relatively soft soil by water; "it was several days after the storm before they could repair the washout and open the road"
total debits and credits are equal; "the books looked balanced"
being in a state of proper balance or equilibrium; "the carefully balanced seesaw"; "a properly balanced symphony orchestra"; "a balanced assessment of intellectual and cultural history"; "a balanced blend of whiskeys"; "the educated man shows a balanced development of all his powers"
excite to an abnormal condition, of chafe or inflame; "Aspirin irritates my stomach"
excite to some characteristic action or condition, such as motion, contraction, or nervous impulse, by the application of a stimulus; "irritate the glands of a leaf"
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"