TENOR
What does "TENOR" mean?
The highest ordinary adult male singing voice, or the general sense and direction of something.
Meanings
- The highest natural adult male singing voice, between baritone and alto. He sang the tenor solo with the lights low.
- The general meaning, character, or drift of something spoken or written. The tenor of the meeting turned grim after the numbers came in.
- An instrument or part pitched in the tenor range, such as a tenor saxophone. She switched from alto to tenor for the ballad. technical
Word origin
From Latin 'tenor' meaning a continuous course or holding-on, from 'tenēre' (to hold); in music the tenor originally 'held' the main melody, and the 'general drift' sense kept the idea of a sustained course.
Remember it
TENOR shares its root with 'tenant' and 'tenacious' - all from Latin 'tenēre', to hold. The tenor once held the tune; the tenor of a speech holds its direction.
A little poem
One voice climbs above the rest,
carrying the meaning like a flame -
lose it, and the whole hall guesses.
tercet
Wordplay
- I couldn't follow the singer's argument, but I caught the general tenor of it.
What it teaches
People forget your exact words but remember your tenor; the drift you set outlasts the lines.
Quick facts
What does TENOR mean?
The highest ordinary adult male singing voice, or the general sense and direction of something.
Is TENOR a valid word?
Yes — TENOR is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is TENOR?
TENOR has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does TENOR come from?
From Latin 'tenor' meaning a continuous course or holding-on, from 'tenēre' (to hold); in music the tenor originally 'held' the main melody, and the 'general drift' sense kept the idea of a sustained course.
What can TENOR teach us?
People forget your exact words but remember your tenor; the drift you set outlasts the lines.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.