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Definition of Tenor in English :

Define Tenor in English

Tenor meaning in English

Meaning of Tenor in English

Pronunciation of Tenor in English

Tenor pronunciation in English

Pronounce Tenor in English

Tenor

see synonyms of tenor

Noun

1. tenor, tenor voice

the adult male singing voice above baritone

2. tenor

the pitch range of the highest male voice

3. tenor

an adult male with a tenor voice

4. tenor

a settled or prevailing or habitual course of a person's life

Example Sentences:
'nothing disturbed the even tenor of her ways'

5. strain, tenor

the general meaning or substance of an utterance

Example Sentences:
'although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument'

Adjective

6. tenor

(of a musical instrument) intermediate between alto and baritone or bass

Example Sentences:
'a tenor sax'

7. tenor

of or close in range to the highest natural adult male voice

Example Sentences:
'tenor voice'

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Tenor

see synonyms of tenor
noun
1. music
a. 
the male voice intermediate between alto and baritone, having a range approximately from the B a ninth below middle C to the G a fifth above it
b. 
a singer with such a voice
c. 
a saxophone, horn, recorder, etc, intermediate in compass and size between the alto and baritone or bass
d. 
(as modifier)
a tenor sax
2. 
general drift of thought; purpose
to follow the tenor of an argument
3. 
a. 
(in early polyphonic music) the part singing the melody or the cantus firmus
b. 
(in four-part harmony) the second lowest part lying directly above the bass
4. bell-ringing
a. 
the heaviest and lowest-pitched bell in a ring
b. 
(as modifier)
a tenor bell
5. 
a settled course of progress
6. archaic
general tendency
7. finance
the time required for a bill of exchange or promissory note to become due for payment
8. law
a. 
the exact words of a deed, etc, as distinct from their effect
b. 
an exact copy or transcript

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Tenor

see synonyms of tenor
noun
1. 
general course or tendency
the even tenor of my life
2. 
general meaning; drift; purport
3. 
in a metaphor, that term or concept that is described in a figurative way by the vehicle
see also vehicle (sense 3)
4.  Obsolete
general character or nature
5. 
the exact wording or an exact copy of a legal document
6. 
a. 
the range of a voice, often, specif., an adult male voice, between baritone and countertenor, usually from about an octave below middle C to an octave above
b. 
a voice or singer with such a range
c. 
an instrument with a similar range within its family, as a tenor saxophone
d. 
a part for such a voice or instrument
7. 
in four-part harmony, the second lowest part
8. 
in a set of bells for ringing changes, the bell with the lowest tone
adjective
9. 
of, for, or having the range of a tenor

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Tenor

see synonyms of tenor
n.
1. The general course or character of something: "She would coast tonight, segue early into the Q&A, let the audience dictate the tenor of the event" (Anita Shreve). See Synonyms at tendency.
2. The word, phrase, or subject with which the vehicle of a metaphor is identified, as life in "Life's but a walking shadow" (Shakespeare).
3. The general meaning; the purport or drift: the tenor of her remarks; the tenor of your message.
4. Music
a. The highest natural adult male voice.
b. One who sings this part.
c. An instrument that sounds within this range.
d. A vocal or instrumental part written within this range.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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