tenor
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.the general mood, character, or meaning of a conversation, piece of writing, or event.
n.the general character, tone, or drift of a discourse or situation.
Simple“The tenor of the meeting changed when the manager mentioned the budget cuts.”
In context“The overall tenor of the report was optimistic, despite the significant challenges highlighted in the final chapters.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a high male singing voice, or a person who sings in this range.
n.the highest natural adult male singing voice, typically ranging from C3 to C5.
Simple“The choir is looking for two more tenors to join for the winter concert.”
In context“The lead role in the opera was written specifically for a dramatic tenor with a powerful upper register.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.the amount of time left until a financial agreement, like a loan or bond, must be paid back.
n.the time remaining until a financial instrument expires or the period of time it takes for a loan to be repaid.
Simple“The bank offered a loan with a five-year tenor and a low interest rate.”
In context“Investors were concerned about the long tenor of the bonds, given the current volatility in the global markets.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.in a metaphor, the actual thing you are talking about.
n.the subject to which attributes are ascribed in a metaphor, distinguished from the 'vehicle' or the image used to describe it.
Simple“In the phrase 'life is a journey', 'life' is the tenor.”
In context“The critic argued that the tenor of the poet's metaphor was obscured by an overly complex vehicle.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describing an instrument or voice that plays or sings in the tenor range.
adj.pertaining to the musical range between alto and bass.
Simple“He plays the tenor saxophone in a local jazz band.”
In context“The composer assigned the melody to the tenor clef to accommodate the cellist's preference for the higher register.”
From Middle English tenour, from Anglo-Norman tenour, from Old French tenor (“substance, contents, meaning, sense; tenor part in music”), from Latin tenor (“course, continuance; holder”), from teneō (“I hold”). In music, from the notion of the one who holds the melody, as opposed to the countertenor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.