tenor
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Latin tenor (“holder”), from teneō (“hold”). In music, from the notion of the one who holds the melody as opposed to the countertenor.
Pronunciation
Noun
tenor (plural tenors)
- (archaic, music) Musical part or section that holds or performs the main melody, as opposed to the contratenor bassus and contratenor altus, who perform countermelodies.
- (obsolete) duration; continuance; a state of holding on in a continuous course; general tendency; career.
- Gray
- Along the cool sequestered vale of life / They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
- Gray
- (music) Musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.
- A person, instrument, or group that performs in the tenor (higher than bass and lower than alto) range.
- Tone, as of a conversation.
- 1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter XI, page 145:
- Colonel Walton, who had striven to check the conversation at moments when he became conscious of its tenor, now gladly engaged his guest on other and more legitimate topics.
- 1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter XI, page 145:
- (linguistics) The subject in a metaphor to which attributes are ascribed.
- (finance) Time to maturity of a bond.
- Stamp; character; nature.
- Dryden
- This success would look like chance, if it were perpetual, and always of the same tenor.
- Dryden
- (law) An exact copy of a writing, set forth in the words and figures of it. It differs from purport, which is only the substance or general import of the instrument.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Bouvier to this entry?)
- That course of thought which holds on through a discourse; the general drift or course of thought; purport; intent; meaning; understanding.
- Shakespeare
- When it [the bond] is paid according to the tenor.
- Spart
- Does not the whole tenor of the divine law positively require humility and meekness to all men?
- Shakespeare
Derived terms
- Old Tenor, Middle Tenor, New Tenor
Coordinate terms
- (voice types): soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, contralto (female); countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass (male)
Translations
musical range
musical performer
tone
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
See also
Adjective
tenor (not comparable)
- of or pertaining to the tenor part or range
- He has a tenor voice.
Translations
of or pertaining to the tenor part or range
Anagrams
Danish
Noun
tenor c (singular definite tenoren, plural indefinite tenorer)
- tenor (musical range, person, instrument or group performing in the tenor range)
Inflection
Inflection of tenor
| common gender | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
| nominative, dative and accusative | tenor | tenoren | tenorer | tenorerne |
| genitive | tenors | tenorens | tenorers | tenorernes |
Latin
Etymology
From teneō (“hold”).
Noun
tenor (genitive tenōris); m, third declension
Inflection
| Number | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | tenor | tenōrēs |
| genitive | tenōris | tenōrum |
| dative | tenōrī | tenōribus |
| accusative | tenōrem | tenōrēs |
| ablative | tenōre | tenōribus |
| vocative | tenor | tenōrēs |