1) Claw 2) Hook 1) Nail 2) Pendency 
Tenterhooks are hooks in a device called a tenter. Tenters were originally large wooden frames which were used as far back as the 14th century in the process of making woollen cloth. After a piece of cloth was woven, it still contained oil from the fleece and some dirt. A craftsperson called a fuller (also called a tucker or wa[u]lker) cleaned the...
[n] - one of a series of hooks used to hold cloth on a tenter
tenterhook One of the hooks that holds cloth on a tenter.
noun one of a series of hooks used to hold cloth on a tenter