To tauten is to make something stretched tight, or for it to become stretched tight by itself. It works both ways: you can tauten a rope (you do it), or a rope can tauten (it happens).

To tauten is to make something stretched tight tauten就是把東西拉緊，or for it to become stretched tight by itself或是它自己變緊。It works both ways它兩個方向都能用：you can tauten a rope你可以把繩子拉緊（you do it你主動做的），or a rope can tauten或繩子自己變緊（it happens它自己發生的）。

Think of a washing line with slack in it — pull the end and it tautens.

Think of a washing line with slack in it想像一條鬆垮垮的曬衣繩——pull the end and it tautens拉一下末端它就繃緊了。

The word belongs to rope, wire, cloth, sails, cables, skin: things with two ends that can be pulled straight.

The word belongs to rope, wire, cloth, sails, cables, skin這個字用在繩子、鐵絲、布、帆、纜線、皮膚：things with two ends that can be pulled straight這些東西都有兩端，可以被拉直。

It is not a common word in daily conversation; people usually say 'tighten' or 'pull tight'.

It is not a common word它在日常對話裡 in daily conversation不是常見的字；people usually say一般人通常會說 'tighten' or 'pull tight' tighten或pull tight。

You meet tauten in writing — sailing, engineering, and especially in descriptions of a body: 'his jaw tautened', 'the muscles in her shoulders tautened'. Used that way it quietly signals that someone is tense or angry, without the writer saying so.

You meet tauten你會 in writing在書面文字裡遇到tauten——sailing, engineering航海、工程，and especially in descriptions of a body尤其是描寫身體的時候：'his jaw tautened'他的下顎繃緊，'the muscles in her shoulders tautened'她肩膀的肌肉繃緊了。Used that way這樣用時 it quietly signals它悄悄暗示 that someone is tense or angry某人很緊張或生氣，without the writer saying so而作者不必明講。

Skincare adverts also love it ('tautens the skin').

Skincare adverts also love it保養品廣告也很愛用它('tautens the skin'「使肌膚緊緻」)。