tenor

== 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): /ˈtɛnə(ɹ)/ Homophone: tenner === Noun === tenor (countable and uncountable, plural tenors) (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. (obsolete) duration; continuance; a state of holding on in a continuous course; general tendency; career. (linguistics) The subject in a metaphor to which attributes are ascribed. (finance) Time to maturity of a bond. Stamp; character; nature. (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. That course of thought which holds on through a discourse; the general drift or course of thought; purport; intent; meaning; understanding. (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 ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === tenor (not comparable) Of or pertaining to the tenor part or range. ==== Translations ==== === See also === tenor on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Tenor in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911) === Anagrams === Norte, Toner, Trone, noter, toner, torne, trone == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin tenōrem. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central) [təˈnor] IPA(key): (Balearic, Mallorca) [təˈno], (Menorca) [təˈnor] IPA(key): (Valencia) [teˈnoɾ] === Noun === tenor m (plural tenors) (music) tenor === Noun === tenor m or (archaic) f (plural tenors) tone, tendency, tenor === Related terms === tenir === Further reading === “tenor”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 == Czech == === Etymology === Latin teneo. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈtɛnor] === Noun === tenor m anim tenor (higher-range male singer) ==== Declension ==== === Noun === tenor m inan tenor (musical range) ==== Declension ==== === Related terms === === Further reading === “tenor”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957 “tenor”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989 “tenor”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026 == 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 ==== === Further reading === “tenor” in Den Danske Ordbog “tenor” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog == Dutch == === Etymology === From Middle Dutch tenore, from Medieval Latin tenor or Italian tenore, from Latin tenor. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /təˈnɔr/ Hyphenation: te‧nor Rhymes: -ɔr === Noun === tenor m (plural tenoren or tenors, no diminutive) 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 (plural tenor-tenor) tenor: (music) a musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto (music) a person, instrument or group that performs in the tenor (higher than bass and lower than alto) range (finance) time to maturity of a bond === Further reading === “tenor”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016 == Latin == === Alternative forms === tonor (Old Latin) === Etymology === From teneō (“to hold”) +‎ -or (“abstract noun suffix”). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈtɛ.nɔr] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈtɛː.nor] === 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. ==== Descendants ==== === Further reading === “tenor”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press “tenor”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers "tenor", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887) “tenor” on page 2118 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (2nd ed., 2012) Wacke, Andreas (21 August 2020), “Das Rechtswort: Tenor”, in Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Romanistische Abteilung (in German), volume 137, →DOI == 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 oblique singular, 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 oblique singular, 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 IXe au XVe 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/ Rhymes: -ɛnɔr Syllabification: te‧nor === Noun === tenor m pers tenor (male singer who performs in the tenor range) ==== Declension ==== === 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 ==== === Further reading === tenor in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN tenor in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Portuguese == === Etymology === Borrowed from Italian tenore. Doublet of teor. === Pronunciation === 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 === === Further reading === “tenor”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French ténor or Italian tenore. === Noun === tenor m (plural tenori) tenor ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin 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 ==== === Further reading === “tenor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 === Anagrams === norte (see for more anagrams) == Tagalog == === Etymology === Borrowed from Spanish tenor. === Pronunciation === (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /teˈnoɾ/ [t̪ɛˈn̪oɾ] Rhymes: -oɾ Syllabification: te‧nor === Noun === tenór (Baybayin spelling ᜆᜒᜈᜓᜇ᜔) (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 === Anagrams === Norte, norte, terno