countertenor

[ koun-ter-ten-er ]
/ ˈkaʊn tərˌtɛn ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR countertenor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Music.

an adult male voice or voice part higher than the tenor.
a singer with such a voice; a high tenor.
Also called male alto.

Origin of countertenor

1350–1400; Middle English cownturenur, apparently < Anglo-French; compare Middle French contreteneur, Old Italian contratenore, equivalent to contra- contra-2 + tenore tenor

Words nearby countertenor

counterstatement, counterstroke, countersubject, countersue, countersuit, countertenor, counterterrorism, countertop, countertraction, countertrade, countertransference

Words related to countertenor

falsetto, alto

British Dictionary definitions for countertenor

countertenor
/ (ˌkaʊntəˈtɛnə) /

noun

an adult male voice with an alto range
a singer with such a voice