tenterhook
(redirected from on tenterhooks)Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Idioms.
Related to on tenterhooks: Moot point, beck and call
tenterhook
[′ten·tər‚hu̇k] (textiles)
One of the nails used to hold fabric on a frame (tenter) so that alterations in the original measurements can be corrected.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.