from wordsmith.org
detente (day-TANT) noun An easing of tension between rivals.
[From French détente (loosening, relaxation). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ten- (to stretch) that's also the source of tense, tendon, tenor, pretend, extend, tenure, tetanus, tenterhook, and hypotenuse.]
--"Threats won't ease anyone's fears. Perhaps it's time to give detente a chance. " Mr. Lieberman's Rash Rhetoric; The Hartford Courant (Connecticut); Jun 13, 2007.
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