What does TENOR mean?

Tenor

Parts of Speech: Noun

Definitions:

1. The highest adult male singing voice.
2. A settled or prevailing character or direction, especially in a musical piece.
3. A general meaning or drift of something spoken or written.

Pronunciations:

• US: /ˈtɛnər/
• UK: /ˈtɛnə/

Origin and Usage:

The word "tenor" originated from the Latin word "tenere" which means "to hold." The term was initially used in the context of medieval polyphonic music to refer to the voice that held the melody. Over time, it came to refer to the highest male singing voice. Nowadays, the term is also used in a figurative sense to refer to the character or direction of something, such as the tenor of a conversation or the tenor of a political speech.

Synonyms:

• High-pitched voice
• Countertenor
• Soprano
• Baritone
• Bass

Related Words:

• Tenor - the same word
• Tonic
• Tulip
• Timer
• Tutor

Example Sentences:

• He has a beautiful tenor voice and can sing high notes with ease.
• The tenor of the conversation shifted when they started talking about politics.
• The tenor of the article was that the company was struggling financially.