tenor

See also: Tenor, tenór, and ténor

English

Alternative forms

tenour (archaic)

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /tɛnə(ɹ)/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (UK) (file)
Homophone: tenner

Noun

tenor (countable and uncountable, plural tenors)

Examples (A tenor singing "O Canada")

(file)

(music) A musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.
A person, instrument, or group that performs in the tenor (higher than bass and lower than alto) range.
(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.
The lowest tuned in a ring of bells.
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.
(obsolete) duration; continuance; a state of holding on in a continuous course; general tendency; career.
- 1790, Adam Smith, “Of the Beauty which the Appearance of Utility Bestows upon the Charactes and Actions of Men; […]”, in The Theory of Moral Sentiments; […] In Two Volumes, volume I, 6th edition, London: […] A[ndrew] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell […]; Edinburgh: W[illiam] Creech, and J. Bell & Co., OCLC 723510352, part IV, page 481:
  It is the conſciouſneſs of this merited approbation and eſteem which is alone capable of ſupporting the agent in this tenour of conduct.
- 1751, Thomas Gray, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
  Along the cool sequestered vale of life / They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
(linguistics) The subject in a metaphor to which attributes are ascribed.
(finance) Time to maturity of a bond.
Stamp; character; nature.
- 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 228732415:
  This success would look like chance, if it were perpetual, and always of the same tenor.
(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.
- 1523, Lord Berners, The Chronicle of Froissart:
  Than he shall delyuer to vs a tenour of that he ought to do.
That course of thought which holds on through a discourse; the general drift or course of thought; purport; intent; meaning; understanding.
- c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i]:
  When it [the bond] is paid according to the tenor.
- 1832, Caroline Wilson, The Listener
  He would have learned , by the whole tenor of the divine law , and especially by the example of the absent Lord , whose property he was for a season trusted with , that he was to do as much good to humanity , and win as much glory to God, as was compatible with the measure of his trust, and for the time for which he might retain it.
- 1960 March, “Testing a rebuilt "Merchant Navy" Pacific of the S.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 169:
  The general tenor of the report on No. 35020 is that all the improvements in performance aimed at in the rebuilding of these engines have been achieved.
(colloquial, music) A tenor saxophone.

Coordinate terms

(voice types): soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto (female, decreasing in pitch); countertenor, baritone, bass (male, decreasing in pitch)

Derived terms

counter-tenor
Old Tenor, Middle Tenor, New Tenor
SATB
tenor banjo
tenor clef
tenor drum
tenor guitar
tenor horn
tenorial
tenorist
tenor saxophone

Translations

(archaic) musical part or section

Finnish: tenori (fi)
German: Tenor (de) m

musical range

Bulgarian: тенор (tenor)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 男高音 (zh) (nángāoyīn)
Czech: tenor (cs) m
Danish: tenor (da) c
Estonian: tenor (et)
Finnish: tenori (fi)
French: ténor (fr) m
Georgian: ტენორი (ṭenori)
German: Tenor (de) m
Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} tenor (hu)
Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} tenór m
Italian: tenore (it) m
Japanese: テノール (tenōru)
Maori: reo iere, reo ike
Norwegian:
Bokmål: tenor m
Nynorsk: tenor m
Portuguese: tenor (pt) m
Russian: те́нор (ru) m (ténor)
Swedish: tenor (sv) c

musical performer

Bulgarian: тенор m (tenor)
Estonian: tenor (et)
Finnish: tenori (fi)
Georgian: ტენორი (ṭenori)
German: Tenor (de) m
Hungarian: tenor (hu)
Italian: tenore (it) m
Norwegian:
Bokmål: tenor m
Nynorsk: tenor m
Portuguese: tenor (pt) m
Russian: те́нор (ru) m (ténor)
Swedish: tenor (sv) c

tone

Danish: tone c, mening c, hovedindhold n, indhold (da) n
Finnish: sävy (fi)
German: Tenor (de) m
Hungarian: tónus (hu)
Italian: tenore (it) m
Maori: waihoe, hū
Norwegian:
Bokmål: tenor m
Nynorsk: tenor m

linguistics

Portuguese: teor (pt) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Dutch: ^{(please verify)} tenor (nl)
German: ^{(please verify)} Tenor (de) m (1,2,3)
Italian: ^{(please verify)} tenore (it)
Quechua: ^{(please verify)} karyisterem
Slovene: ^{(please verify)} tenor (sl) m
Vietnamese:
bè têno (?)
tinh thần chung
person: giọng nam cao; instrument: kèn têno

Adjective

tenor (not comparable)

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.

Translations

of or pertaining to the tenor part or range

Finnish: tenori- (fi)
Hungarian: tenor (hu)
Vietnamese: nam cao

Anagrams

Norte, Toner, Trone, noter, toner, torne, trone

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin tenor, tenōrem.

Pronunciation

(Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /təˈno/

(Valencian) IPA^(key): /teˈnoɾ/

Noun

tenor m (plural tenors)

tone, tendency
tenor

Related terms

tenir

Czech

Etymology

Latin teneo.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈtɛnor]

Noun

tenor m

tenor (musical range)

Related terms

abstinence
abstinent
abstinovat
detence
impertinentní
kontejner
kontinent
kontinentální
pertinentní
retence
tenis
tenista

Danish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /teˈnoːr/, [teˈnoˀɐ̯]

Noun

tenor c (singular definite tenoren, plural indefinite tenorer)

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

Declension

Declension of tenor

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

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch tenore, from Medieval Latin tenor or Italian tenore, from Latin tenor.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /təˈnɔr/
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: te‧nor
Rhymes: -ɔr

Noun

tenor m (plural tenoren or tenors)

tenor

Derived terms

contratenor

Ido

Verb

tenor

future infinitive of tenar

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch tenor, from Italian tenore, from Latin tenor.
Semantic loan from English tenor for sense of time to maturity of a bond.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈtɛnɔr]
Hyphenation: tè‧nor

Noun

tenor (first-person possessive tenorku, second-person possessive tenormu, third-person possessive tenornya)

tenor:
1. (music) a musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.
2. (music) a person, instrument or group that performs in the tenor (higher than bass and lower than alto) range.
3. (finance) time to maturity of a bond.

Latin

Etymology

teneō (“to hold”) +‎ -or (“abstract noun suffix”)

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.nor/, [ˈt̪ɛnɔr]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.nor/, [ˈt̪ɛːnor]

Noun

tenor m (genitive tenōris); third declension

a sustained, continuous course or movement, a continuity of events, conditions etc. or way of proceeding
a line of reasoning, point, gist of an utterance in so far as it decides legal questions whether individually or generally, a provision (either its wording or its meaning)
a tone (of sound or color); stress (of the voice)
(Medieval Latin) a seisin

Declension

Third-declension noun.

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

Descendants

Catalan: tenor
Old French: tenor
- French: teneur, ténor
  - → Dutch: teneur
- → English: tenor
Galician: teor
→ Icelandic: tenór
Italian: tenore
- → Portuguese: tenor
Portuguese: teor
Sicilian: tinuri
Spanish: tenor

Middle English

Noun

tenor

Alternative form of tenour

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Italian tenore, via French ténor and German Tenor.

Noun

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

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

References

“tenor” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Italian tenore, via French ténor and German Tenor.

Noun

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

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

References

“tenor” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old French

Alternative forms

tenëor
tenour (Anglo-Norman)

Etymology 1

From tenir, cf. also Late Latin tentor.

Noun

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

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

Descendants

French: teneur
- → Dutch: teneur
→ English: tenor

Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin tenor, tenōrem.

Noun

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

possession
content (of a letter)

References

Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (tenor, feminine noun, possession)

tenure on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian tenore, from Latin tenor.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.nɔr/
Audio (file)
Rhymes: -ɛnɔr
Syllabification: te‧nor

Noun

tenor m pers

tenor (male singer who performs in the tenor range)

Declension

Declension of tenor

	singular	plural
nominative	tenor	tenorzy
genitive	tenora	tenorów
dative	tenorowi	tenorom
accusative	tenora	tenorów
instrumental	tenorem	tenorami
locative	tenorze	tenorach
vocative	tenorze	tenorzy

Noun

tenor m inan

(music) tenor (musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto)
tenor (instrument that performs in the tenor range)
tone, overtone, message
Synonyms: sens, wydźwięk

Declension

Declension of tenor

	singular	plural
nominative	tenor	tenory
genitive	tenoru	tenorów
dative	tenorowi	tenorom
accusative	tenor	tenory
instrumental	tenorem	tenorami
locative	tenorze	tenorach
vocative	tenorze	tenory

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian tenore.[1][2] Doublet of teor.

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /teˈnoʁ/ [teˈnoh]
- (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /teˈnoɾ/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /teˈnoʁ/ [teˈnoχ]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /teˈnoɻ/

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /tɨˈnoɾ/

Rhymes: (Portugal, São Paulo) -oɾ, (Brazil) -oʁ
Hyphenation: te‧nor

Noun

tenor m (plural tenores)

(music) tenor (musical range)
(music) tenor (musical performer)

Adjective

tenor (invariable, not comparable)

(music) tenor (of or relating to the tenor part or range)

References

“tenor” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2023.
“tenor” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

From French ténor or Italian tenore.

Noun

tenor m (plural tenori)

tenor

Declension

Declension of tenor

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) tenor	tenorul	(niște) tenori	tenorii
genitive/dative	(unui) tenor	tenorului	(unor) tenori	tenorilor
vocative	tenorule		tenorilor

Spanish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /teˈnoɾ/ [t̪eˈnoɾ]
Rhymes: -oɾ
Syllabification: te‧nor

Noun

tenor m (plural tenores)

tenor
(formal) sense, meaning

Derived terms

a tenor de

Anagrams

norte (see for more anagrams)

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish tenor.

Pronunciation

Hyphenation: te‧nor

IPA^(key): /teˈnoɾ/, [teˈnoɾ]

Noun

tenór

(music) tenor (musical range)
singer with a tenor voice
underlying meaning shown (by the drift of words or tone of voice)
Synonyms: himig, tono, tunog, hagkis, pahiwatig

[1] “tenor” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2023.

[2] “tenor” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

tenor

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Related terms

Further reading

Czech

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Related terms

Further reading

Danish

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Further reading

Dutch

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Ido

Verb

Indonesian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Further reading

Latin

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Descendants

Further reading

Middle English

Noun

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Noun

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Noun

References

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology 1

Noun

Descendants

Etymology 2

Noun

References

Polish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Noun

Declension

Further reading

Portuguese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Adjective