tensor

noun

ten·​sor ˈten(t)-sər  ˈten-ˌsȯr 

1

: a muscle that stretches a part

2

: a generalized vector with more than three components each of which is a function of the coordinates of an arbitrary point in space of an appropriate number of dimensions

Examples of tensor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Researchers are also turning to diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a type of MRI that is able to visualize white matter. —Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2025

Researchers also evaluated white matter in the brain using an MRI technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which measures the movement of water molecules in the brain. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 24 Mar. 2025

For example, Dries Sels and colleagues at New York University performed similar calculations on a regular laptop using tensor networks – which reduce the amount of data and hence energy needed to perform simulations, reported New Scientist. —Peter Cohan, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Reasoning LLMs essentially prompt themselves to reason through a problem, which in turn generates more tokens and keeps expensive hardware (such as GPUs or tensor processing units) occupied. —IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from Latin tendere "to extend outward, stretch, draw tight" + -tor, agent suffix — more at tender entry 3

First Known Use

circa 1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tensor

• censer
• censor
• denser
• fencer
• sensor
• biosensor
• condenser
• dispenser
• extensor

Kids Definition

tensor

noun

ten·​sor ˈten(t)-sər  ˈten-ˌsȯ(ə)r 

: a muscle that stretches a part

Medical Definition

tensor

noun

ten·​sor ˈten(t)-sər  ˈten-ˌsȯ(ə)r 

: a muscle that stretches a part or makes it tense

called also tensor muscle