Temper

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: tem=per

CIDE DICTIONARY

Temper, v. t. [AS. temprian or OF. temper, F. tempérer, and (in sense 3) temper, L. temperare, akin to tempus time. Cf. Temporal, Distemper, Tamper.].

•  To mingle in due proportion; to prepare by combining; to modify, as by adding some new element; to qualify, as by an ingredient; hence, to soften; to mollify; to assuage; to soothe; to calm.  [1913 Webster]

  "Puritan austerity was so tempered by Dutch indifference, that mercy itself could not have dictated a milder system."  [1913 Webster]

  "Woman! lovely woman! nature made thee
  To temper man: we had been brutes without you."  [1913 Webster]

  "But thy fire
  Shall be more tempered, and thy hope far higher."  [1913 Webster]

  "She [the Goddess of Justice] threw darkness and clouds about her, that tempered the light into a thousand beautiful shades and colors."  [1913 Webster]
•  To fit together; to adjust; to accomodate.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thy sustenance . . . serving to the appetite of the eater, tempered itself to every man's liking."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring to a proper degree of hardness; as, to temper iron or steel.  [1913 Webster]

  "The tempered metals clash, and yield a silver sound."  [1913 Webster]
•  To govern; to manage.  [1913 Webster]

  "With which the damned ghosts he governeth,
  And furies rules, and Tartare tempereth."  [1913 Webster]
•  To moisten to a proper consistency and stir thoroughly, as clay for making brick, loam for molding, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  To adjust, as the mathematical scale to the actual scale, or to that in actual use.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To soften; mollify; assuage; soothe; calm.

Temper, n. 

•  The state of any compound substance which results from the mixture of various ingredients; due mixture of different qualities; just combination; as, the temper of mortar.  [1913 Webster]
•  Constitution of body; temperament; in old writers, the mixture or relative proportion of the four humors, blood, choler, phlegm, and melancholy.  [1913 Webster]

  "The exquisiteness of his [Christ's] bodily temper increased the exquisiteness of his torment."  [1913 Webster]
•  Disposition of mind; the constitution of the mind, particularly with regard to the passions and affections; as, a calm temper; a hasty temper; a fretful temper.  [1913 Webster]

  "Remember with what mild
  And gracious temper he both heared and judged."  [1913 Webster]

  "The consequents of a certain ethical temper."  [1913 Webster]
•  Calmness of mind; moderation; equanimity; composure; as, to keep one's temper.  [1913 Webster]

  "To fall with dignity, with temper rise."  [1913 Webster]

  "Restore yourselves to your tempers, fathers."  [1913 Webster]
•  Heat of mind or passion; irritation; proneness to anger; -- in a reproachful sense.  [1913 Webster]
•  The state of a metal or other substance, especially as to its hardness, produced by some process of heating or cooling; as, the temper of iron or steel.  [1913 Webster]
•  Middle state or course; mean; medium.  [1913 Webster]

  "The perfect lawgiver is a just temper between the mere man of theory, who can see nothing but general principles, and the mere man of business, who can see nothing but particular circumstances."  [1913 Webster]
•  Milk of lime, or other substance, employed in the process formerly used to clarify sugar.  [1913 Webster]

Temper screw, in deep well boring, an adjusting screw connecting the working beam with the rope carrying the tools, for lowering the tools as the drilling progresses.

Syn. -- Disposition; temperament; frame; humor; mood. See Disposition.

Temper, v. i. 

•  To accord; to agree; to act and think in conformity.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  To have or get a proper or desired state or quality; to grow soft and pliable.  [1913 Webster]

  "I have him already tempering between my finger and my thumb, and shortly will I seal with him."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Temper, n. & v.
--n.
1 habitual or temporary disposition of mind esp. as regards composure (a person of a placid temper).
2 irritation or anger (in a fit of temper).
3 a tendency to have fits of anger (have a temper).
4 composure or calmness (keep one's temper; lose one's temper).
5 the condition of metal as regards hardness and elasticity.
--v.tr.
1 bring (metal or clay) to a proper hardness or consistency.
2 (foll. by with) moderate or mitigate (temper justice with mercy).
3 tune or modulate (a piano etc.) so as to distance intervals correctly.

Idiom

in a bad temper angry, peevish. in a good temper in an amiable mood. out of temper angry, peevish. show temper be petulant.

Derivative

temperable adj. temperative adj. tempered adj. temperedly adv. temperer n.

Etymology

OE temprian (v.) f. L temperare mingle: infl. by OF temprer, tremper

THESAURUS

Temper

Irish, abate, adjust, adjust to, allay, alleviate, alter, anger, animus, anneal, appease, aptitude, assuage, atmosphere, attain majority, attemper, attribute, aura, bad temper, balance, bank the fire, be tough, beef up, bent, besprinkle, bias, bloom, blunt, body-build, box in, brace, brace up, brand, breathe, brew, buttress, calcify, callous, calmness, case harden, cast, character, characteristic, characteristics, chasten, chisel temper, churlishness, circumscribe, climate, color, come of age, come to maturity, complexion, composition, composure, condition, confirm, conniption, constituents, constitution, constrain, control, cool, coolness, cornify, crasis, cue, curb, cushion, damp, dampen, dander, de-emphasize, deaden, decoct, develop, dharma, diathesis, die temper, dilute, diminish, disposition, downplay, dredge, drift, dull, dye, ease, eccentricity, endure, entincture, equanimity, ethos, extenuate, fiber, fierce temper, fiery temper, firm, firmness, fit, flavor, fledge, flower, fortify, fossilize, frame, frame of mind, fury, genius, gird, grain, grow, grow up, habit, hang tough, harden, hardness, hardness scale, heart, heat treating, hedge, hedge about, hot blood, hot temper, hotheadedness, hue, huffishness, humor, humors, idiosyncrasy, ilk, ill humor, ill temper, imbrue, imbue, impregnate, inclination, indenter, individualism, individuality, indurate, infiltrate, infuse, instill, invigorate, irascibility, ire, irritability, irritable temper, keep within bounds, kidney, kind, lapidify, lay, leaning, leave the nest, leaven, lenify, lessen, lighten, limit, lithify, make, makeup, mature, mellow, mental set, mettle, mind, mind-set, mitigate, moderate, modify, modulate, mold, mollify, mood, morale, narrow, nature, nerve, note, obtund, orientation, ossify, outburst, outlook, pacify, paddy, palliate, passion, peculiarity, peevishness, penetrate, permeate, personality, pervade, petrify, petulance, physique, play down, posture, precipitation hardening, predilection, predisposition, preference, proclivity, prop, propensity, property, qualify, quality, rage, razor temper, reach manhood, reach twenty-one, reach voting age, reduce, reduce the temperature, refresh, regulate by, reinforce, reinvigorate, relax, restrain, restrengthen, restrict, ripen, sang-froid, saturate, saw file temper, season, self-control, self-possession, set, set conditions, set limits, set temper, settle down, shore up, short temper, slacken, slant, slow down, smother, sober, sober down, soften, solidity, somatotype, soothe, sort, soundness, spindle temper, spirit, spirits, spunkiness, stability, stamp, state, state of mind, staunchness, steel, steep, stiffen, stifle, stoutness, strain, streak, strengthen, stripe, sturdiness, style, subdue, suchness, suffuse, support, suppress, surliness, sustain, system, tame, tantrum, temper tantrum, temperament, tempering, tendency, tenor, timbre, tincture, tinge, toga virilis, tone, tone down, tool temper, toughen, transfuse, trend, tune down, turn, turn of mind, twist, type, undergird, underplay, vein, vitrify, volatility, warm temper, warp, wax, way, weaken

ROGET THESAURUS

Temper

Intrinsicality

N intrinsicality, inbeing, inherence, inhesion, subjectiveness, ego, egohood, essence, noumenon, essentialness, essential part, quintessence, incarnation, quiddity, gist, pith, marrow, core, sap, lifeblood, backbone, heart, soul, important part, principle, nature, constitution, character, type, quality, crasis, diathesis, habit, temper, temperament, spirit, humor, grain, disposition, endowment, capacity, capability, moods, declensions, features, aspects, peculiarities, idiosyncrasy, oddity, idiocrasy, diagnostics, derived from within, subjective, intrinsic, intrinsical, fundamental, normal, implanted, inherent, essential, natural, innate, inborn, inbred, ingrained, inwrought, coeval with birth, genetous, haematobious, syngenic, radical, incarnate, thoroughbred, hereditary, inherited, immanent, congenital, congenite, connate, running in the blood, ingenerate, ingenite, indigenous, in the grain, bred in the bone, instinctive, inward, internal, to the manner born, virtual, characteristic, invariable, incurable, incorrigible, ineradicable, fixed, intrinsically, at bottom, in the main, in effect, practically, virtually, substantially, au fond, fairly, character is higher than intellect, come give us a taste of your quality, magnos homines virtute metimur non fortuna, non numero haec judicantur sed pondere, vital spark of heavenly flame.

State

N state, condition, category, estate, lot, ease, trim, mood, pickle, plight, temper, aspect, dilemma, pass, predicament, constitution, habitude, diathesis, frame, fabric, stamp, set, fit, mold, mould, mode, modality, schesis, form, tone, tenor, turn, trim, guise, fashion, light, complexion, style, character, conditional, modal, formal, structural, organic, conditionally, as the matter stands, as things are, such being the case.

Preparation

VB prepare, get ready, make ready, make preparations, settle preliminaries, get up, sound the note of preparation, set in order, put in order, forecast, prepare the ground, plow the ground, dress the ground, till the soil, cultivate the soil, predispose, sow the seed, lay a train, dig a mine, lay the groundwork, fix the groundwork, lay the basis, fix the basis, lay the foundations, fix the foundations, dig the foundations, erect the scaffolding, lay the first stone, roughhew, cut out work, block out, hammer out, lick into shape, elaborate, mature, ripen, mellow, season, bring to maturity, nurture, hatch, cook, brew, temper, anneal, smelt, barbecue, infumate, maturate, equip, arm, man, fit-out, fit up, furnish, rig, dress, garnish, betrim, accouter, array, fettle, fledge, dress up, furbish up, brush up, vamp up, refurbish, sharpen one's tools, trim one's foils, set, prime, attune, whet the knife, whet the sword, wind up, screw up, adjust, put in trim, put in train, put in gear, put in working order, put in tune, put in a groove for, put in harness, pack, train, inure, breed, prepare for, rehearse, make provision for, take steps, take measures, take precautions, provide, provide against, beat up for recruits, open the door to, set one's house in order, make all snug, clear the decks, clear for action, close one's ranks, shuffle the cards, prepare oneself, serve an apprenticeship, lay oneself out for, get into harness, gird up one's loins, buckle on one's armor, reculer pour mieux sauter, prime and load, shoulder arms, get the steam up, put the horses to, guard against, make sure against, forearm, make sure, prepare for the evil day, have a rod in pickle, provide against a rainy day, feather one's nest, lay in provisions, make investments, keep on foot, be prepared, be ready, hold oneself in readiness, keep one's powder dry, lie in wait for, anticipate, principiis obstare, veniente occurrere morbo.

Affections

N affections, affect, character, qualities, disposition, nature, spirit, tone, temper, temperament, diathesis, idiosyncrasy, cast of mind, cast of soul, habit of mind, habit of soul, frame of mind, frame of soul, predilection, turn, natural turn of mind, bent, bias, predisposition, proneness, proclivity, propensity, propenseness, propension, propendency, vein, humor, mood, grain, mettle, sympathy, soul, heart, breast, bosom, inner man, heart's core, heart's strings, heart's blood, heart of hearts, bottom of one's heart, penetralia mentis, secret and inmost recesses of the heart, cockles of one's heart, inmost heart, inmost soul, backbone, passion, pervading spirit, ruling passion, master passion, furore, fullness of the heart, heyday of the blood, flesh and blood, flow of soul, energy, fervor, fire, force, affected, characterized, formed, molded, cast, attempered, tempered, framed, predisposed, prone, inclined, having a bias, tinctured with, imbued with, penetrated with, eaten up with, inborn, inbred, ingrained, deep-rooted, ineffaceable, inveterate, pathoscopic, congenital, dyed in the wool, implanted by nature, inherent, in the grain, affective, in one's heart, at heart, heart and soul, affection is a coal that must be cool'd else suffe.

Moderation

VB be moderate, keep within bounds, keep within compass, sober down, settle down, keep the peace, remit, relent, take in sail, moderate, soften, mitigate, temper, accoy, attemper, contemper, mollify, lenify, dulcify, dull, take off the edge, blunt, obtund, sheathe, subdue, chasten, sober down, tone down, smooth down, weaken, lessen, check palliate, tranquilize, pacify, assuage, appease, swag, lull, soothe, compose, still, calm, calm down, cool, quiet, hush, quell, sober, pacify, tame, damp, lay, allay, rebate, slacken, smooth, alleviate, rock to sleep, deaden, smooth, throw cold water on, throw a wet blanket over, turn off, slake, curb, tame, smooth over, pour oil on the waves, pour oil on the troubled waters, pour balm into, mattre de l'eau dans son vin, go out like a lamb, roar you as gently as any sucking dove.

Irascibility

N irascibility, irascibleness, temper, crossness, susceptibility, procacity, petulance, irritability, tartness, acerbity, protervity, pugnacity, excitability, bad temper, fiery temper, crooked temper, irritable, temper, genus irritabile, hot blood, ill humor, asperity, churlishness, huff, a word and a blow, Sir Fretful Plagiary, brabbler, Tartar, shrew, vixen, virago, termagant, dragon, scold, Xantippe, porcupine, spitfire, fire eater, fury, irascible, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, irritable, susceptible, excitable, thin-skinned, fretful, fidgety, on the fret, hasty, overhasty, quick, warm, hot, testy, touchy, techy, tetchy, like touchwood, like tinder, huffy, pettish, petulant, waspish, snappish, peppery, fiery, passionate, choleric, shrewish, sudden and quick in quarrel, querulous, captious, moodish, quarrelsome, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, cantankerous, exceptious, restiff, churlish, cross, cross as crabs, cross as two sticks, cross as a cat, cross as a dog, cross as the tongs, fractious, peevish, acari=atre, in a bad temper, sulky, angry, resentful, resentive, vindictive, Int, pish!, a vieux comptes nouvelles disputes, quamvis tegatur proditur vultu furor, vino tortus et ira, irascibility, irascibleness, temper, crossness, susceptibility, procacity, petulance, irritability, tartness, acerbity, protervity, pugnacity, excitability, bad temper, fiery temper, crooked temper, irritable, temper, genus irritabile, hot blood, ill humor, asperity, churlishness, huff, a word and a blow, Sir Fretful Plagiary, brabbler, Tartar, shrew, vixen, virago, termagant, dragon, scold, Xantippe, porcupine, spitfire, fire eater, fury, irascible, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, irritable, susceptible, excitable, thin-skinned, fretful, fidgety, on the fret, hasty, overhasty, quick, warm, hot, testy, touchy, techy, tetchy, like touchwood, like tinder, huffy, pettish, petulant, waspish, snappish, peppery, fiery, passionate, choleric, shrewish, sudden and quick in quarrel, querulous, captious, moodish, quarrelsome, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, cantankerous, exceptious, restiff, churlish, cross, cross as crabs, cross as two sticks, cross as a cat, cross as a dog, cross as the tongs, fractious, peevish, acari=atre, in a bad temper, sulky, angry, resentful, resentive, vindictive, Int, pish!, a vieux comptes nouvelles disputes, quamvis tegatur proditur vultu furor, vino tortus et ira.

Hardness

N hardness, rigidity, renitence, renitency, inflexibility, temper, callosity, durity, induration, petrifaction, lapidification, lapidescence, vitrification, ossification, crystallization, stone, pebble, flint, marble, rock, fossil, crag, crystal, quartz, granite, adamant, bone, cartilage, hardware, heart of oak, block, board, deal board, iron, steel, cast iron, decarbonized iron, wrought iron, nail, brick, concrete, cement, hard, rigid, stubborn, stiff, firm, starch, starched, stark, unbending, unlimber, unyielding, inflexible, tense, indurate, indurated, gritty, proof, adamant, adamantine, adamantean, concrete, stony, granitic, calculous, lithic, vitreous, horny, corneous, bony, osseous, ossific, cartilaginous, hard as a rock, stiff as buckram, stiff as a poker, stiff as starch, stiff as as board.

VB render hard, harden, stiffen, indurate, petrify, temper, ossify, vitrify, accrust.

Softness

VB render soft, soften, mollify, mellow, relax, temper, mash, knead, squash, bend, yield, relent, relax, give, plasticize'.

Qualification

VB qualify, limit, modify, leaven, give a color to, introduce new conditions, narrow, temper, waffle, quibble, hem and haw (be uncertain), equivocate (sophistry), depend, depend on, be contingent on (effect), allow for, make allowance for, admit exceptions, take into account, modulate, moderate, temper, season, leaven, take exception, qualify, limit, modify, leaven, give a color to, introduce new conditions, narrow, temper, waffle, quibble, hem and haw (be uncertain), equivocate (sophistry), depend, depend on, be contingent on (effect), allow for, make allowance for, admit exceptions, take into account, modulate, moderate, temper, season, leaven, take exception.