tent

Portable tension structure in which the supports (usually a wooden pole or poles) both carry and are held in place by a membrane of canvas, skins, or cloth stretched over them and fixed by means of pegs driven into the ground. 2. Portable compression structure in which a self-supporting frame or armature is constructed over which a protective membrane is draped. Tents are of great antiquity as a type, and very elaborate examples have evolved for religious, ceremonial, or status reasons. Tensile architecture was developed from tent-like forms. (Curl & Wilson, 2016) Photo from Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia, 2025.