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tenterhook
/ ˈɛԳəˌʊ /
noun
- one of a series of hooks or bent nails used to hold cloth stretched on a tenter
- on tenterhooksin a state of tension or suspense
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of tenterhook1
Idioms and Phrases
- on tenterhooks, in a state of uneasy suspense or painful anxiety:
The movie keeps one on tenterhooks until the very last moment.
Example Sentences
South Korea remains on tenterhooks for another upcoming decision by the same court - on the impeachment of President Yoon.
"We were on tenterhooks really, just watching the door for what seemed like forever."
He knows he’s already gotten one of the spots, but Ruthie is still on tenterhooks.
Minutes later, reports broke that he was joining Spurs and it shows how Tel has left English football on tenterhooks.
The country was on tenterhooks at the time, as South Africa was nearing the end of apartheid, the racist system of white-minority rule.
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More About Tenterhook
What doestenterhook mean?
A tenterhook is a hook used to attach cloth to a tenter—a frame on which cloth is stretched during the manufacturing process so that it can keep its shape while drying.
Tenterhooks are no longer widely used in cloth manufacturing, and the word tenterhook is now almost exclusively used in the metaphorical phrase on tenterhooks, meaning in a state of painfully anxious suspense or tension. Being on tenterhooks typically involves being extremely nervous while awaiting the outcome of a tense situation, such as a close election, an exciting sports game, or a horror movie.
Example: I’ve been on tenterhooks all morning waiting for the doctor’s office to call back with my test results.
Where does the word tenterhook come from?
The first records of the word tenterhook come from the late 1400s. Tenter comes from the Middle English tente, which means “to stretch” and derives from the Latin ŧԲܲ, meaning “tense.” The word tenter was formerly used as a synonym for tenterhook, and the expression on tenters was used before on tenterhooks to mean the same thing.
Most of the people who use the phrase on tenterhooks have probably never seen an actual tenterhook, and most may not even know what it is. But it’s a good metaphor—when someone is described as being on tenterhooks, they feel tense and stretched thin, just like the fabric on a tenter. The phrase on tenterhooks is often applied to negative situations, but it can be used to describe someone who’s nervously excited.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to tenterhook?
- tenterhooks (plural form)
What are some synonyms for tenterhook?
- tenter (obsolete)
What are some words that share a root or word element with tenterhook?
What are some words that often get used in discussing tenterhook?
How istenterhook used in real life?
Tenterhook is almost exclusively used in the phrase on tenterhooks.
I'm on tenterhooks I'm really anxious about my Son's results. Sending you and your daughter positive vibes.
— Temi (@temfash)
on tenterhooks today waiting for the arrivals of new carly rae in my inbox and counter/weight shirt in my mailbox
— Carey Pietsch (@careydraws)
just learned it’s “tenterhooks” not “tenderhooks” 😕
— speedy ortiz ÷ haunted painting 9.25.2020 (@sad13)
Try usingtenterhook!
Which of the following terms is a synonym of the phrase on tenterhooks?
A. on edge
B. tense
C. anxious
D. all of the above
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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