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

The company is aiming to launch two prototype satellites equipped with Google's custom AI chips called tensor processing units, or TPUs, by early 2027. —Samantha Subin, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025

The combined interactions of light fields naturally produce mathematical operations including tensor multiplications. —New Atlas, 10 Dec. 2025

Meanwhile Broadcom — which is building the tensor processing unit, or TPU, chips Alphabet uses — has seen its stock price leap 68% since the end of last year. —Ryan Vlastelica, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025

The success of Alphabet’s tensor processing unit, or TPU, chips is a primary reason for the stock’s 30% fourth-quarter rally, putting it among the best performers in the S&P 500 Index. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 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