'Stress' definitions:

Definition of 'stress'

(from WordNet)
noun
The relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch); "he put the stress on the wrong syllable" [syn: stress, emphasis, accent]
noun
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense; "he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension"; "stress is a vasoconstrictor" [syn: tension, tenseness, stress]
noun
Special emphasis attached to something; "the stress was more on accuracy than on speed" [syn: stress, focus]
noun
Difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension; "she endured the stresses and strains of life"; "he presided over the economy during the period of the greatest stress and danger"- R.J.Samuelson [syn: stress, strain]
noun
(physics) force that produces strain on a physical body; "the intensity of stress is expressed in units of force divided by units of area"
verb
To stress, single out as important; "Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet" [syn: stress, emphasize, emphasise, punctuate, accent, accentuate]
verb
Put stress on; utter with an accent; "In Farsi, you accent the last syllable of each word" [syn: stress, accent, accentuate]
verb
Test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!" [syn: try, strain, stress]

Definition of 'Stress'

From: GCIDE
  • Stress \Stress\ (str[e^]s), v. t.
  • 1. To press; to urge; to distress; to put to difficulties. [R.] --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To subject to stress, pressure, or strain. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To subject to phonetic stress; to accent. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  • 4. To place emphasis on; to make emphatic; emphasize. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Definition of 'Stress'

From: GCIDE
  • Stress \Stress\, n. [Abbrev. fr. distress; or cf. OF. estrecier to press, pinch, (assumed) LL. strictiare, fr. L. strictus. See Distress.]
  • 1. Distress. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • Sad hersal of his heavy stress. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Pressure, strain; -- used chiefly of immaterial things; except in mechanics; hence, urgency; importance; weight; significance. [1913 Webster]
  • The faculties of the mind are improved by exercise, yet they must not be put to a stress beyond their strength. --Locke. [1913 Webster]
  • A body may as well lay too little as too much stress upon a dream. --L'Estrange. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. (Mech. & Physics) The force, or combination of forces, which produces a strain; force exerted in any direction or manner between contiguous bodies, or parts of bodies, and taking specific names according to its direction, or mode of action, as thrust or pressure, pull or tension, shear or tangential stress. --Rankine. [1913 Webster]
  • Stress is the mutual action between portions of matter. --Clerk Maxwell. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. (Pron.) Force of utterance expended upon words or syllables. Stress is in English the chief element in accent and is one of the most important in emphasis. See Guide to pronunciation, [sect][sect] 31-35. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. (Scots Law) Distress; the act of distraining; also, the thing distrained. [1913 Webster]
  • Stress of voice, unusual exertion of the voice.
  • Stress of weather, constraint imposed by continued bad weather; as, to be driven back to port by stress of weather.
  • To lay stress upon, to attach great importance to; to emphasize. "Consider how great a stress is laid upon this duty." --Atterbury.
  • To put stress upon, or To put to a stress, to strain. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'stress'

From: GCIDE
  • Lateral \Lat"er*al\, a. [L. lateralis, fr. latus, lateris, side: cf. F. lat['e]ral.]
  • 1. Of or pertaining to the sides; as, the lateral walls of a house; the lateral branches of a tree. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. (Anat.) Lying at, or extending toward, the side; away from the mesial plane; external; -- opposed to mesial. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Directed to the side; as, a lateral view of a thing. [1913 Webster]
  • Lateral cleavage (Crystallog.), cleavage parallel to the lateral planes.
  • Lateral equation (Math.), an equation of the first degree. [Obs.]
  • Lateral line (Anat.), in fishes, a line of sensory organs along either side of the body, often marked by a distinct line of color.
  • Lateral pressure or stress (Mech.), a pressure or stress at right angles to the length, as of a beam or bridge; -- distinguished from longitudinal pressure or stress.
  • Lateral strength (Mech.), strength which resists a tendency to fracture arising from lateral pressure.
  • Lateral system (Bridge Building), the system of horizontal braces (as between two vertical trusses) by which lateral stiffness is secured. [1913 Webster] lateral

Synonyms of 'stress'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Stress'