tenor

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.
2. (countable, uncountable) A person, instrument, or group that performs in the tenor (higher than bass and lower than alto) range.
3. (archaic, countable, uncountable) 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. (countable, uncountable) The lowest tuned in a ring of bells.
5. (countable, uncountable) Tone, as of a conversation.
6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) duration; continuance; a state of holding on in a continuous course; general tendency; career.
7. (countable, uncountable) The subject in a metaphor to which attributes are ascribed.
8. (countable, uncountable) Time to maturity of a bond.
9. (countable, uncountable) Stamp; character; nature.
10. (countable, uncountable) 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.
11. (countable, uncountable) That course of thought which holds on through a discourse; the general drift or course of thought; purport; intent; meaning; understanding.
12. (colloquial, countable, uncountable) A tenor saxophone.

Adj

Of or pertaining to the tenor part or range.

Synonyms

purport

soprano

meaning

strain

effect

gist

term

tenor voice

process

alto

falsetto

general idea

grade

hang

idea

💡

intension

march

mark

nature

nod

object

objective

opinion

precis

procedure

proceeding

procession

progression

purity

purpose

purview

quality

route

sake

🍶

scope

sense

sentinel

sentry

sing

synoptic

topic

treble

view

wish

main points

design

shrill voiced

ore content

aim

animus

Translations

Tenor

ténor

tenore

tenor

teneur

tenor

tenorstem

tenor

νόημα

οξύφωνος

tenor

πορεία

strekking

Grundhaltung

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tɛnə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: tenour

In summary

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.