I. ten ‧ or 1 /ˈtenə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin , 'uninterrupted course' , from tenere 'to hold' ]
1 . [countable] a male singing voice that can reach the range of notes below the lowest woman’s voice, or a man with a voice like this
2 . [singular, uncountable] the part of a musical work that is written for a tenor voice ⇨ alto , baritone , bass , soprano :
Arthur Davies sings the tenor solo.
3 . the tenor of something formal
a) the general way in which an event or process takes place SYN tone :
Many voters admitted being disturbed by the tenor of the election campaign.
b) the general meaning of something written or spoken, or the general attitude expressed in it SYN tone :
the general tenor of her speech
II. tenor 2 BrE AmE adjective
a tenor voice or instrument has a range of notes that is lower than an ↑ alto voice or instrument:
a tenor saxophone