tenor — a singing voice between baritone and alto or countertenor, the highest of the ordinary adult male range
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a singing voice between baritone and alto or countertenor, the highest of the ordinary adult male range
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈtenər/
Example Sentences
- The karaoke machine broke down right when I was about to show off my tenor skills.
- The tenor of the meeting shifted from friendly to hostile when someone mentioned overtime.
- Despite being a tenor, he insisted on singing bass parts and sounded like a broken vacuum cleaner.
tenor
NOUN[/ˈtenər/]
a singing voice between baritone and alto or countertenor, the highest of the ordinary adult male range
His speech set the tenor for the entire summit that morning.
The tenor's voice grows cleaner and leaner!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Tenor derives from Latin tenere, meaning 'to hold' or 'to maintain'. In medieval musical terminology, it referred to the voice part that held or sustained the main melodic line, a role considered structurally fundamental to vocal composition.
Breakdown
tenere (to hold, to maintain) + -or (agent noun suffix, one who holds). The term evolved from its literal meaning of 'the one holding [the melody]' to denote the voice range and later the general character or tendency of something.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The karaoke machine broke down right when I was about to show off my tenor skills.”
“The tenor of the meeting shifted from friendly to hostile when someone mentioned overtime.”
“Despite being a tenor, he insisted on singing bass parts and sounded like a broken vacuum cleaner.”
“The tenor of the legal document was so complex that even lawyers needed dictionaries.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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