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tenor
ten·or1 / ˈtenər/ • n. a singing voice between baritone and alto or countertenor, the highest of the ordinary adult male range. ∎ a singer with such a voice. ∎ a part written for such a voice. ∎ [usu. as adj.] an instrument, esp. a saxophone, trombone, tuba, or viol, of the lowest pitch but one in its family: a tenor sax. ∎ (in full tenor bell) the largest and deepest bell of a ring or set. ten·or2 • n. 1. [in sing.] (usu. the tenor of) the general meaning, sense, or content of something: the general tenor of the debate. ∎ the subject to which a metaphor refers, e.g., “a large, difficult challenge” conveyed by bear in this one is going to be a bear. Often contrasted with vehicle (sense 2). 2. [in sing.] (usu. the tenor of) a settled or prevailing character or direction, esp. the course of a person's life or habits: the even tenor of life in the kitchen was disrupted the following day. 3. Law the actual wording of a document. 4. Finance the time that must elapse before a bill of exchange or promissory note becomes due for payment. |
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"tenor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tenor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-tenor.html "tenor." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-tenor.html |
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tenor
tenor highest natural male voice . In medieval polyphony, tenor was the name given to the voice that had the cantus firmus, a preexisting melody, often a fragment of plainsong, to which other voices in counterpoint were added. The cantus was arranged in notes of long duration, hence the term tenor, from the Latin tenere, to hold. In about the 12th cent., when this practice arose, the various parts in polyphonic music were roughly equal in range, and it was some centuries later that tenor came to denote a voice of any certain range. The male alto range is termed countertenor . In certain families of instruments the member whose register corresponds to that of the tenor voice is called tenor, e.g., tenor horn and tenor trombone. |
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"tenor." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tenor." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-tenor.html "tenor." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-tenor.html |
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tenor
tenor (from It. tenore, ‘holding’).
1. Highest normal male v., its name deriving from medieval times when it was the v. which carried the plainsong or other cantus firmus while other vv. sang a counterpoint. Range from C below middle C, upwards for 2 octaves. There are various categories of ten., e.g. tenor di forza, heroic ten., as for Verdi's Otello; tenor di grazia, lyrical ten., as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore; tenor robusto, powerful ten., as Manrico in Il trovatore; tenor spinto, forceful lyric ten., as Rodolfo in La bohème; see also countertenor and Heldentenor. 2. Name given to certain instr. deemed to be equivalent in range, etc., of ten. v., e.g. ten. sax., ten. tuba, etc. 3. The va. |
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MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "tenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "tenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-tenor.html MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "tenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-tenor.html |
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tenor
tenor
A. general sense of a discourse, etc. XIII; continuous progress XIV; †quality, condition XVI; B. (mus.) voice or part between alto and bass XIV. ME. ten(o)ur — AN. tenur, OF. tenour (mod. teneur course, import) — L. tenor, -ōr- continuous course, substance, import of a law, etc., f. tenēre hold; see -OR2. Sense B. was in OF. tenor (mod. ténor) — It. tenore and medL. tenor; the sense (‘holding or the continuous part’) is due to the allotting of the melody to that part. |
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T. F. HOAD. "tenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "tenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-tenor.html T. F. HOAD. "tenor." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-tenor.html |
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Tenor
TENORAn exact replica of a legal document in words and figures. For example, the tenor of a check would be the exact amount payable, as indicated on its face. |
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"Tenor." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Tenor." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437704335.html "Tenor." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3437704335.html |
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tenor
tenor Range of the human voice, falling below contralto and above baritone. It is the highest natural male voice apart from the countertenor.
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"tenor." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tenor." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-tenor.html "tenor." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-tenor.html |
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tenor
tenor
•Alana, Anna, bandanna, banner, Branagh, canna, canner, Diana, fanner, Fermanagh, Guyana, Hannah, Havana, hosanna, Indiana, Joanna, lanner, Louisiana, manna, manner, manor, Montana, nana, planner, Pollyanna, Rosanna, savannah, scanner, spanner, Susanna, tanner
•Abner • Jaffna • Patna • caravanner
•Africana, Afrikaner, Americana, ana, banana, Botswana, bwana, cabana, caragana, Christiana, Dana, darner, Edwardiana, garner, Georgiana, Ghana, Gloriana, Guiana, gymkhana, Haryana, iguana, Lana, lantana, liana, Lipizzaner, Ljubljana, Mahayana, mana, mañana, marijuana, nirvana, Oriana, pacarana, piranha, prana, Purana, Rosh Hashana, Santayana, Setswana, sultana, Tatiana, Tijuana, Tirana, tramontana, Tswana, varna, Victoriana, zenana
•Gardner • partner
•antenna, Avicenna, duenna, henna, Jenna, Jenner, Morwenna, Ravenna, senna, Siena, sienna, tenner, tenor, Vienna
•Edna • interregna • Etna • Pevsner
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"tenor." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "tenor." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-tenor.html "tenor." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-tenor.html |
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