Main Entry:

¹stress

Pronunciation:

\ˈstres\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English stresse stress, distress, short for destresse — more at distress

Date:

14th century

1: constraining force or influence: as a: a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part ; especially : the intensity of this mutual force commonly expressed in pounds per square inch b: the deformation caused in a body by such a force c: a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation d: a state resulting from a stress ; especially : one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium <job-related stress> e: strain, pressure <the environment is under stress to the point of collapse — Joseph Shoben> 2: emphasis, weight <lay stress on a point>3archaic : intense effort or exertion4: intensity of utterance given to a speech sound, syllable, or word producing relative loudness5 a: relative force or prominence of sound in verse b: a syllable having relative force or prominence6: accent 6a