tenter

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ten=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

tenter, n. 

•  One who takes care of, or tends, machines in a factory; a kind of assistant foreman.  [1913 Webster]
•  A kind of governor.  [1913 Webster]

tenter, n. [OE. tenture, tentoure, OF. tenture a stretching, spreading, F. tenture hangings, tapestry, from L. tendere, tentum, to stretch. See Tend to move.].

 A machine or frame for stretching cloth by means of hooks, called tenter-hooks, so that it may dry even and square.  [1913 Webster]

Tenter ground, a place where tenters are erected. -- Tenter-hook, a sharp, hooked nail used for fastening cloth on a tenter. -- To be on the tenters, To be on the tenter-hooks or To be on tenterhooks, to be on the stretch; to be in distress, uneasiness, or suspense. Hudibras.

tenter, v. i. 

 To admit extension.  [1913 Webster]
"Woolen cloth will tenter, linen scarcely."  [1913 Webster]

tenter, v. t. 

 To hang or stretch on, or as on, tenters.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tenter, n.
1 a machine for stretching cloth to dry in shape.
2 = TENTERHOOK.

tenter, n. Brit.
1 a person in charge of something, esp. of machinery in a factory.
2 a workman's unskilled assistant.

Etymology

tent (now Sc.) pay attention, perh. f. tent attention f. INTENT or obs. attent (as ATTEND)