tenor

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ten=or

CIDE DICTIONARY

tenor, n. [L., from tenere to hold; hence, properly, a holding on in a continued course: cf. F. teneur. See Tenable, and cf. Tenor a kind of voice.].

•  A state of holding on in a continuous course; manner of continuity; constant mode; general tendency; course; career.  [1913 Webster]

  "Along the cool sequestered vale of life
  They kept the noiseless tenor of their away."  [1913 Webster]
•  That course of thought which holds on through a discourse; the general drift or course of thought; purport; intent; meaning; understanding.  [1913 Webster]

  "When it [the bond] is paid according to the tenor."  [1913 Webster]

  "Does not the whole tenor of the divine law positively require humility and meekness to all men?"  [1913 Webster]
•  Stamp; character; nature.  [1913 Webster]

  "This success would look like chance, if it were perpetual, and always of the same tenor."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  Bouvier.  [1913 Webster]
•  The higher of the two kinds of voices usually belonging to adult males; hence, the part in the harmony adapted to this voice; the second of the four parts in the scale of sounds, reckoning from the base, and originally the air, to which the other parts were auxillary.  [1913 Webster]

Old Tenor, New Tenor, Middle Tenor, different descriptions of paper money, issued at different periods, by the American colonial governments in the last century.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tenor, n.
1 a a singing-voice between baritone and alto or counter-tenor, the highest of the ordinary adult male range. b a singer with this voice. c a part written for it.
2 a an instrument, esp. a viola, recorder, or saxophone, of which the range is roughly that of a tenor voice. b (in full tenor bell) the largest bell of a peal or set.
3 (usu. foll. by of) the general purport or drift of a document or speech.
4 (usu. foll. by of) a settled or prevailing course or direction, esp. the course of a person's life or habits.
5 Law a the actual wording of a document. b an exact copy.
6 the subject to which a metaphor refers (opp. VEHICLE 4).

Idiom

tenor clef Mus. a clef placing middle C on the second highest line of the staff.

Etymology

ME f. AF tenur, OF tenour f. L tenor -oris f. tenere hold

THESAURUS

tenor

Heldentenor, Meistersinger, Zeitgeist, accompaniment, affective meaning, aim, alto, apograph, aria singer, azimuth, baritenor, baritone, bass, basso, basso buffo, basso cantante, basso continuo, basso ostinato, basso profundo, bassus, bearing, bent, bias, blues singer, body, body-build, brand, bravura, canary, cantatrice, canto, cantor, cantus, cantus figuratus, cantus planus, carbon, carbon copy, caroler, cast, chanter, chantress, character, characteristic, characteristics, choral, choric, coloratura, coloratura soprano, coloring, comic bass, complexion, composition, connotation, consequence, constituents, constitution, continuo, contralto, core, countertenor, course, crasis, crooner, current, deep bass, denotation, descant, dharma, diathesis, direction, direction line, disposition, diva, dramatic, dramatic soprano, drift, drone, effect, essence, ethos, extension, falsetto, fashion, fiber, fiche, figured bass, force, form, frame, genius, gist, glacial movement, grain, grammatical meaning, ground bass, guise, habit, head register, head tone, head voice, heading, helmsmanship, heroic, heroic tenor, high, high-pitched, high-sounding, high-toned, hue, humor, humors, hymnal, hymner, idea, ilk, impact, implication, import, improvisator, inclination, inference, intension, intent, kind, lay, lead singer, lexical meaning, lie, lieder singer, line, line of direction, line of march, literal meaning, liturgical, lyric, main current, mainstream, makeup, male alto, manifold, manner, meaning, meat, melodist, mezzo-soprano, microcopy, microfiche, microform, mode, mold, mood, motion, movement, nature, navigation, opera singer, operatic, orientation, overtone, part, pertinence, physique, piloting, pith, plain chant, plain song, point, practical consequence, prick song, prima donna, property, psalm singer, psalmic, psalmodial, psalmodic, purport, purpose, quality, quarter, range, range of meaning, real meaning, recording, reference, referent, relation, relevance, rock-and-roll singer, rubbing, run, sacred, scope, semantic cluster, semantic field, sense, set, shape, significance, signification, significatum, signifie, singer, singing, singstress, somatotype, songbird, songster, songstress, soprano, sort, span of meaning, spirit, stamp, steerage, steering, streak, stream, stripe, structural meaning, stuff, style, substance, suchness, sum, sum and substance, swing, symbolic meaning, system, temper, temperament, tendency, the general tendency, the main course, theme, thorough bass, thread, time spirit, tone, torch singer, totality of associations, tracing, track, transcript, transcription, transfer, transferred meaning, treble, trend, turn, type, unadorned meaning, undersong, undertone, value, vein, vocal, vocalist, vocalizer, voice, voice part, warbler, way, yodeler

ROGET THESAURUS

tenor

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.

Degree

N degree, grade, extent, measure, amount, ratio, stint, standard, height, pitch, reach, amplitude, range, scope, caliber, gradation, shade, tenor, compass, sphere, station, rank, standing, rate, way, sort, point, mark, stage, intensity, strength, comparative, gradual, shading off, within the bounds, by degrees, gradually, inasmuch, pro tanto, however, howsoever, step by step, bit by bit, little by little, inch by inch, drop by drop, a little at a time, by inches, by slow degrees, by degrees, by little and little, in some degree, in some measure, to some extent, di grado in grado.

Direction

N direction, management, managery, government, gubernation, conduct, legislation, regulation, guidance, bossism, legislature, steerage, pilotage, reins, reins of government, helm, rudder, needle, compass, guiding star, load star, lode star, pole star, cynosure, supervision, superintendence, surveillance, oversight, eye of the master, control, charge, board of control, command, premiership, senatorship, director, chair, portfolio, statesmanship, statecraft, kingcraft, queencraft, ministry, ministration, administration, stewardship, proctorship, agency, director, directing, hegemonic, at the helm, at the head of, direction, bearing, course, vector, set, drift, tenor, tendency, incidence, bending, trending, dip, tack, aim, collimation, steering steerage, point of the compass, cardinal points, North East, South, West, N by E, ENE, NE by N, NE, rhumb, azimuth, line of collimation, line, path, road, range, quarter, line of march, alignment, allignment, air line, beeline, straight shoot, directed, directed towards, pointing towards, bound for, aligned, with alligned with, direct, straight, undeviating, unswerving, straightforward, North, Northern, Northerly, towards, on the road, on the high road to, en avant, versus, to, hither, thither, whither, directly, straight as an arrow, forwards as an arrow, point blank, in a bee line to, in a direct line to, as the crow flies, in a straight line to, in a bee line for, in a direct line for, in a straight line for, in a bee line with, in a direct line with, in a straight line with, in a line with, full tilt at, as the crow flies, before the wind, near the wind, close to the wind, against the wind, windwards, in the wind's eye, through, via, by way of, in all directions, in all manner of ways, quaquaversum, from the four winds, the shortest distance between two points is a stra.

Stridor

N stridor, creak, creaking, discord, stridor, roughness, sharpness cacophony, cacoepy, acute note, high note, soprano, treble, tenor, alto, falsetto, penny trumpet, voce di testa, creaking, stridulous, harsh, coarse, hoarse, horrisonous, rough, gruff, grum, sepulchral, hollow, sharp, high, acute, shrill, trumpet-toned, piercing, ear-piercing, high-pitched, high-toned, cracked, discordant, cacophonous.

Musical Instruments

N musical instruments, band, string-band, brass-band, orchestra, orchestrina, monochord, polychord, harp, lyre, lute, archlute, mandola, mandolin, mandoline, guitar, zither, cither, cithern, gittern, rebeck, bandurria, bandura, banjo, bina, vina, xanorphica, viol, violin, fiddle, kit, viola, viola d'amore, viola di gamba, tenor, cremona, violoncello, bass, bass viol, base viol, theorbo, double base, contrabasso, violone, psaltery, bow, fiddlestick, piano, pianoforte, harpsichord, clavichord, clarichord, manichord, clavier, spinet, virginals, dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, vielle, pianino, Eolian harp, organ, harmonium, harmoniphon, American organ, barrel organ, hand organ, accordion, seraphina, concertina, humming top, flute, fife, piccolo, flageolet, clarinet, claronet, basset horn, corno di bassetto, oboe, hautboy, cor Anglais, corno Inglese, bassoon, double bassoon, contrafagotto, serpent, bass clarinet, bagpipes, union pipes, musette, ocarina, Pandean pipes, reed instrument, sirene, pipe, pitch-pipe, sourdet, whistle, catcall, doodlesack, harmoniphone, horn, bugle, cornet, cornet-a-pistons, cornopean, clarion, trumpet, trombone, ophicleide, French horn, saxophone, sax, buglehorn, saxhorn, flugelhorn, althorn, helicanhorn, posthorn, sackbut, euphonium, bombardon tuba, cymbal, bell, gong, tambour, tambourine, tamborine, drum, tom-tom, tabor, tabret, tabourine, taborin, side drum, kettle drum, timpani, tympani, tymbal, timbrel, castanet, bones, musical glasses, musical stones, harmonica, sounding-board, rattle, tam-tam, zambomba, reed, tuning fork, triangle, Jew's harp, musical box, harmonicon, xylophone, sordine, sordet, sourdine, sourdet, mute, (iv) PERCEPTION OF SOUND.

Meaning

N meaning, signification, significance, sense, expression, import, purport, force, drift, tenor, spirit, bearing, coloring, scope, substance, gist, essence, marrow, spirit, matter, subject, subject matter, argument, text, sum and substance, general meaning, broad meaning, substantial meaning, colloquial meaning, literal meaning, plain meaning, simple meaning, natural meaning, unstrained meaning, true meaning, honest meaning, &c 543 prima facie meaning, letter of the law, literally, after acceptation, synonym, implication, allusion, suggestion, figure of speech, acceptation, meaning, expressive, suggestive, allusive, significant, significative, significatory, pithy, full of meaning, pregnant with meaning, declaratory, intelligible, literal, synonymous, tantamount, implied, explicit, to that effect, that is to say.