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Wiktionary

tenor

See also: Tenor, tenór, and ténor

Contents

EnglishEdit

 Tenor (disambiguation) on Wikipedia

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English tenour, from Anglo-Norman tenour, from Old French tenor (“substance, contents, meaning, sense; tenor part in music”), from Latin tenor (“course, continuance; holder”), from teneō (“I hold”). In music, from the notion of the one who holds the melody, as opposed to the countertenor.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

tenor (countable and uncountable, plural tenors)

Examples (A tenor singing "O Canada")
(file)
  1. (music) A musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.
  2. A person, instrument, or group that performs in the tenor (higher than bass and lower than alto) range.
  3. (archaic, music) A musical part or section that holds or performs the main melody, as opposed to the contratenor bassus and contratenor altus, who perform countermelodies.
  4. The lowest tuned in a ring of bells.
  5. 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.
  6. (obsolete) duration; continuance; a state of holding on in a continuous course; general tendency; career.
  7. (linguistics) The subject in a metaphor to which attributes are ascribed.
  8. (finance) Time to maturity of a bond.
  9. Stamp; character; nature.
    • Dryden
      This success would look like chance, if it were perpetual, and always of the same tenor.
  10. (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?)
  11. 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?
  12. (colloquial, music) A tenor saxophone.

Coordinate termsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

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 Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

AdjectiveEdit

tenor (not comparable)

  1. Of or pertaining to the tenor part or range.
    He has a tenor voice.
    • 1962, Frank Howard Richardson, For Parents Only: The Doctor Discusses Discipline
      Many a star athlete has very little hair anywhere except what he wears on top of his head, and a voice that is absolutely tenor.
    • 2009, Richard Smith, Can't You Hear Me Calling: The Life of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass, Da Capo Press →ISBN
      Sometimes Charlie would sing notes that were more tenor than original melody, forcing Bill to sing a high baritone-style line.
    • 2012, Lily George, Captain of Her Heart, Harlequin →ISBN, page 173
      The door swung open, and a masculine voice—a little more tenor than Brookes's bass tones—called, “Brookes, come in. Do you have your colleague with you?”
    • 2015, Michael J. Senger Sr., The Connection, Lulu Press, Inc →ISBN
      Kahn was not a big man and he had a voice that was a little more tenor than most preferred.

TranslationsEdit

See alsoEdit

AnagramsEdit

CatalanEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin tenor, tenōrem.

NounEdit

tenor m (plural tenors)

  1. tone, tendency
  2. tenor

Related termsEdit

CzechEdit

DanishEdit

NounEdit

tenor c (singular definite tenoren, plural indefinite tenorer)

  1. tenor (musical range, person, instrument or group performing in the tenor range)

InflectionEdit

Declension of tenor
common
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative tenor tenoren tenorer tenorerne
genitive tenors tenorens tenorers tenorernes

IdoEdit

VerbEdit

tenor

  1. future infinitive of tenar

LatinEdit

EtymologyEdit

From teneō (“hold”).

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

tenor m (genitive tenōris); third declension

  1. a holding on, continuance, course, career, duration
  2. a holder

InflectionEdit

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative tenor tenōrēs
Genitive tenōris tenōrum
Dative tenōrī tenōribus
Accusative tenōrem tenōrēs
Ablative tenōre tenōribus
Vocative tenor tenōrēs

DescendantsEdit

ReferencesEdit

Middle EnglishEdit

NounEdit

tenor

  1. Alternative form of tenour

Norwegian BokmålEdit

 
Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

EtymologyEdit

From Italian tenore, via French ténor and German Tenor

NounEdit

tenor m (definite singular tenoren, indefinite plural tenorer, definite plural tenorene)

  1. tenor (singing voice or singer; pitch of a musical instrument)

ReferencesEdit

Norwegian NynorskEdit

 
Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

EtymologyEdit

From Italian tenore, via French ténor and German Tenor

NounEdit

tenor m (definite singular tenoren, indefinite plural tenorar, definite plural tenorane)

  1. tenor (singing voice or singer; pitch of a musical instrument)

ReferencesEdit

Old FrenchEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From tenir, cf. also Latin tenor.

NounEdit

tenor m (oblique plural tenors, nominative singular tenors, nominative plural tenor)

  1. holder; possessor (one who possesses; one who has)

DescendantsEdit

NounEdit

tenor f (oblique plural tenors, nominative singular tenor, nominative plural tenors)

  1. possession
  2. content (of a letter)

ReferencesEdit

SpanishEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Latin tenor, tenōrem, with the sense of "tenor" taken from Italian tenore.

NounEdit

tenor m (plural tenores)

  1. tenor
  2. (formal) sense, meaning
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