temperament

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tem·per·a·ment / ˈtemp(ə)rəmənt/ • n. 1. a person's or animal's nature, esp. as it permanently affects their behavior: she had an artistic temperament. ∎  the tendency to behave angrily or emotionally: he had begun to show signs of temperament.2. the adjustment of intervals in tuning a piano or other musical instrument so as to fit the scale for use in different keys; in equal temperament, the octave consists of twelve equal semitones.

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