How to pronounce tenterhooks
American English pronunciation
TEN-ter-hooks
- IPA
- /ˈtɛntɚˌhʊks/
- Syllables
- TEN · ter · hooks (3 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What tenterhooks means
A state of nervous suspense while waiting
In a sentence: We sat on tenterhooks waiting for the results.
Where it comes from: From the old cloth-drying frames with hooks called tenters.
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