Tenor

Quick meaning: Tenor is a noun meaning (music) A musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.

Meaning

(music) A musical range or section higher than bass and lower than alto.

More Meanings

1. A person, instrument, or group that performs in the tenor (higher than bass and lower than alto) range.
2. The lowest tuned in a ring of bells.
3. Tone, as of a conversation.
4. (linguistics) The subject in a metaphor to which attributes are ascribed.
5. (finance) Time to maturity of a bond.
6. (obsolete) duration; continuance; a state of holding on in a continuous course; general tendency; career.
7. (archaic, music) A musical part or section that holds or performs the main melody, as opposed to the contratenor bassus and contratenor altus, who perform countermelodies.

Example Sentences

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

Than he shall delyuer to vs a tenour of that he ought to do.

Along the cool sequestered vale of life / They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.

This success would look like chance, if it were perpetual, and always of the same tenor.

Word Forms

• tenors
• tenour

Synonyms for tenor

Depending on context, synonyms include strain, high, high-pitched.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include high, high-pitched, strain, keynote, tone, wording.

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