tenterhooks

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++ten·ter·hooks /ˈtentəhʊks $ -ər-/ noun especially British English  be on tenterhooks EXCITEDto feel nervous and excited because you are waiting to find out something or for something to happen 〔因等待而〕紧张不安 SYN be on edge She had been on tenterhooks all night, expecting Joe to return at any moment. 她一晚上都心神不定，等待着乔随时回来。

Examples from the Corpus

tenterhooks• Time has me dangling on its tenterhooks.• She had been on tenterhooks all night expecting Joe to return at any moment from Port Eynon.• Louis was reconstituting the royal family, keeping his adult sons on tenterhooks.• He was still on tenterhooks waiting for his directors' decision about the manager's job.• Everyone had been waiting on tenterhooks on the platform, as they had been technically ready for more than a day.• For the remainder of the carol I was on tenterhooks, not daring to take my eyes from the lectern.• Nutty watched on tenterhooks as Hoomey took in his new situation: the centre of an admiring crowd.• Both of us were on tenterhooks for reasons both intellectual and commercial.Origin tenterhooks (1500-1600) tenterhook “sharp nail for fastening cloth on a tenter” ((15-20 centuries)), from tenter “frame for drying and stretching cloth” ((13-20 centuries)) (from Medieval Latin tentura, from Latin tendere; → TEND) + hook

ten·ter·hooks nounChineseSyllable  

and to are Corpus because feel waiting you nervous excited

tenterhooks
ten‧ter‧hooks /ˈtentəhʊks $ -ər-/ noun especially British Englishbe on tenterhooks to feel nervous and excited because you are waiting to find out something or for something to happen
   SYN  be on edge:
    She had been on tenterhooks all night, expecting Joe to return at any moment.

ten·ter·hooksBrE /ˈtentəhʊks/ 🔊NAmE /ˈtentərhʊks/ 🔊 noun [plural] ●(be) on ˈtenterhooks (NAmE also be on ˌpins and ˈneedles) (to be) very anxious or excited while you are waiting to find out sth or see what will happen 坐立不安；如坐针毡◆I've been on tenterhooks all week waiting for the results. 整个星期我都在坐立不安，等待结果出来。🔊🔊 ORIGIN From tenterhook, a hook which in the past was used to keep material stretched on a drying frame during manufacture. 源自 tenterhook（拉幅钩），是过去把生产中的布料绷在干燥架上的一种钩子。