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

Amazon's Trainium chips and Alphabet's tensor process units (TPUs), for example, have been catching Wall Street's eye. —Tobias Burns, CNBC, 6 May 2026

The server deploys a hybrid processor that uses an optical tensor engine for mathematical computation and digital processing for system control. —Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026

These arrays can be one-dimensional (vectors), two-dimensional (matrices), or more (tensors). —Olivia Hsu, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2026

This is in addition to Google’s homegrown tensor processing units, which have found success already. —Sanjit Singh Dang, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2026

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