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Webster 1913 Edition

Tenor

Ten′or

,
Noun.
[L., from
tenere
to hold; hence, properly, a holding on in a continued course: cf. F.
teneur
. See
Tenable
, and cf.
Tenor
a kind of voice.]
1.
A state of holding on in a continuous course; manner of continuity; constant mode; general tendency; course; career.
Along the cool sequestered vale of life
They kept the noiseless
tenor
of their away.
Gray.
2.
That course of thought which holds on through a discourse; the general drift or course of thought; purport; intent; meaning; understanding.
When it [the bond] is paid according to the
tenor
.
Shakespeare
Does not the whole
tenor
of the divine law positively require humility and meekness to all men?
Spart.
3.
Stamp; character; nature.
This success would look like chance, if it were perpetual, and always of the same
tenor
.
Dryden.
4.
(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.
Bouvier.
5.
[F.
ténor
, L.
tenor
, properly, a holding; – so called because the tenor was the voice which took and held the principal part, the plain song, air, or tune, to which the other voices supplied a harmony above and below: cf. It.
tenore
.]
(Mus.)
(a)
The higher of the two kinds of voices usually belonging to adult males; hence, the part in the harmony adapted to this voice; the second of the four parts in the scale of sounds, reckoning from the base, and originally the air, to which the other parts were auxillary.
(b)
A person who sings the tenor, or the instrument that play it.
Old Tenor
,
New Tenor
,
Middle Tenor
,
different descriptions of paper money, issued at different periods, by the American colonial governments in the last century.

Webster 1828 Edition

Tenor

TEN'OR

,
Noun.
[L. tenor, from teneo, to hold.]
1.
Continued run or currency; whole course or strain. We understand a speaker's intention or views from the tenor of his conversation, that is, from the general course of his ideas, or general purport of his speech.
Does not the whole tenor of the divine law positively require humility and meekness to all men?
2.
Stamp; character. The conversation was of the same tenor as that of the preceding day.
This success would look like chance, if it were not perpetual and always of the same tenor.
3.
Sense contained; purport; substance; general course or drift; as close attention to the tenor of the discourse. Warrants are to be executed according to their form and tenor.
Bid me tear the bond.
--When it is paid according to the tenor.
4.
In music, the natural pitch of a man's voice in singing; hence, the part of a tune adapted to a man's voice, the second of the four parts, reckoning from the base; and originally the air, to which the other parts were auxiliary.
5.
The persons who sing the tenor, or the instrument that plays it.

Definition 2024

Tenor

Tenor

See also: tenor, tenór, and ténor

German

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [teˈnoːɐ̯]

Noun

Tenor m ‎(genitive Tenors, plural Tenöre)

  1. (music) tenor

Etymology 2

From Latin tenor.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈteːnoːɐ̯]

Noun

Tenor m ‎(genitive Tenors, no plural)

  1. tenor (tone, as of a conversation)

tenor

tenor

See also: Tenor, tenór, and ténor

English

Alternative forms

Noun

tenor ‎(plural tenors)

Examples (A tenor singing "O Canada")
  1. (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.
  2. (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.
  3. (music) Musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.
  4. A person, instrument, or group that performs in the tenor (higher than bass and lower than alto) range.
  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. (linguistics) The subject in a metaphor to which attributes are ascribed.
  7. (finance) Time to maturity of a bond.
  8. Stamp; character; nature.
    • Dryden
      This success would look like chance, if it were perpetual, and always of the same tenor.
  9. (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?)
  10. 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?

Derived terms

Coordinate terms

Translations

See also

Adjective

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 9780786731169)
      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 9781459221239), 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 9781257217854)
      Kahn was not a big man and he had a voice that was a little more tenor than most preferred.

Translations

Anagrams

Catalan

Noun

tenor m ‎(plural tenors)

  1. tone, tendency
  2. tenor

Danish

Noun

tenor c (singular definite tenoren, plural indefinite tenorer)

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

Inflection

Ido

Verb

tenor

  1. future infinitive of tenar

Latin

Etymology

From teneō ‎(“hold”).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈte.nor/, [ˈtɛ.nɔr]

Noun

tenor m ‎(genitive tenōris); third declension

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

Inflection

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative tenor tenōrēs
genitive tenōris tenōrum
dative tenōrī tenōribus
accusative tenōrem tenōrēs
ablative tenōre tenōribus
vocative tenor tenōrēs

Descendants

References

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Italian tenore, via French ténor and German Tenor

Noun

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

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

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Italian tenore, via French ténor and German Tenor

Noun

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

  1. tenor (as above)

References

Old French

Etymology

Latin tenor.

Noun

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

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

Noun

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

  1. possession
  2. content (of a letter)

References

Spanish

Noun

tenor m ‎(plural tenores)

  1. tenor
  2. (formal) sense, meaning

Etymology

From Italian tenore, from Latin tenor.

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