tenor

[ ten-er ]
/ ˈtɛn ər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR tenor ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the course of thought or meaning that runs through something written or spoken; purport; drift.
continuous course, progress, or movement.
Rhetoric. the subject of a metaphor, as “she” in “She is a rose.” Compare vehicle(def 8).
Music.
  1. the adult male voice intermediate between the bass and the alto or countertenor.
  2. a part sung by or written for such a voice, especially the next to the lowest part in four-part harmony.
  3. a singer with such a voice.
  4. an instrument corresponding in compass to this voice, especially the viola.
  5. the lowest-toned bell of a peal.
quality, character, or condition.

adjective

Music. of, relating to, or having the compass of a tenor.

Origin of tenor

1250–1300; < Medieval Latin, Latin: course, continuity, tone, equivalent to ten(ēre) to hold + -or -or1; replacing Middle English ten(o)ur < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM tenor

ten·or·less, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tenor

tender tenor tenure

Words nearby tenor

tenontodynia, tenontomyoplasty, tenontoplasty, tenophyte, tenoplasty, tenor, tenor clef, tenor cor, tenor horn, tenoreceptor, tenorist

Words related to tenor

theme, tone, gist, mood, falsetto, purport, trend, course, sense, tendency, current, way, inclination, body, core, direction, run, drift, purpose, burden

Example sentences from the Web for tenor

British Dictionary definitions for tenor

tenor
/ (ˈtɛnə) /

noun

Derived forms of tenor

tenorless, adjective

Word Origin for tenor

C13 (originally: general meaning or sense): from Old French tenour, from Latin tenor a continuous holding to a course, from tenēre to hold; musical sense via Italian tenore, referring to the voice part that was continuous, that is, to which the melody was assigned

Cultural definitions for tenor

tenor

The highest range of the male singing voice. (Compare baritone and bass.)