Emily Dickinson Lexicon

TEMPT'ING-LY, adv.

In a manner to entice to evil; so as to allure.

TEMPT'ING-NESS, n.

The state of being tempting.

TEMPT'RESS, n.

A female who entices.

TEMSE'-BREAD, or TEM'SED-BREAD, n. [Fr. tamiser, It. tamisare, tamigiare, to sift; Fr. tamis, It. tamiso, tamigio, a sieve.]

Bread made of flour better sifted than common flour. [I know not where this word is used.] Johnson.

TEM'U-LENCE, or TEM'U-LEN-CY, n. [L. temulentia.]

Intoxication; inebriation; drunkenness. [Not used.]

TEM'U-LENT, a. [L. temulentus.]

Intoxicated. [Not in use.]

TEM'U-LENT-IVE, a.

Drunken; in a state of inebriation. [Not in use.]

TEN, a. [Sax. tyn; D. tien; G. zehn; Dan. tie; Sw. tio. I suppose this word to be contracted from the Gothic tiguns, ten, from tig, ten. If so, this is the Greek δεκα, L. decem, W. deg, Gaelic, deich, Fr. dix; It. dieci, Sp. diez.]

1. Twice five; nine and one. With twice ten sail I cross'd the Phrygian sea. Dryden.
2. It is a kind of proverbial number. There's a proud modesty in merit, / Averse to begging, and resolv'd to pay / Ten times the gift it asks. Dryden. The meaning in this use is, a great deal more, indefinitely.

TEN'A-BLE, a. [Fr., from L. teneo, to hold. See Tenant.]

That may be held, maintained or defended against an assailant, or against attempts to take it; as, a tenable fortress. The works were not deemed tenable. The ground taken in the argument is not tenable.

TEN'A-BLE-NESS, or TEN-A-BIL'I-TY, n.

The state of being tenable.

TE-NA'CIOUS, a. [L. tenax, from teneo, to hold; Fr. tenace.]

1. Holding fast, or inclined to hold fast; inclined to retain what is in possession; as, men tenacious of their just rights. Men are usually tenacious of their opinions, as well as of their property. Locke. Arbuthnot.
2. Retentive; apt to retain long what is committed to it; as, a tenacious memory. Locke.
3. Adhesive; apt to adhere to another substance; as oily, glutinous, or viscous matter. Few substances are so tenacious as tar.
4. Niggardly; close fisted. Ainsworth.

TE-NA'CIOUS-LY, adv.

1. With a disposition to hold fast what is possessed.
2. Adhesively.
3. Obstinately; with firm adherenee.

TE-NA'CIOUS-NESS, n.

1. The quality of holding fast; unwillingness to quit, resign, or let go; as, a man's tenaciousness of his rights or opinions.
2. Adhesiveness; stickiness; as, the tenaciousness of clay or glue.
3. Retentiveness; as, the tenaciousness of memory.

TE-NAC'I-TY, n. [Fr. tenacité; L. tenacitas, from teneo, to hold.]

1. Adhesiveness; that quality of bodies which makes them to stick or adhere to others; glutinousness; stickiness; as, the tenacity of oils, of glue, of tar, of starch, and the like.
2. That quality of bodies which keeps them from parting, without considerable force; cohesiveness; the effect of attraction; opposed to brittleness or fragility. Cyc.

TE-NAC'U-LUM, n.

A surgical instrument by which the mouths of bleeding arteries are seized and drawn out.

TEN'A-CY, n.

Tenaciousness. [Not in use.] Barrow.

TE-NAIL, n. [Fr. tenaille, from tenir, L. teneo, to hold.]

In fortification, an outwork consisting of two parallel sides with a front, in which is a re-entering angle. It is simple or double. Cyc.

TEN'AIL-LON, n.

In fortification, tenaillons are works constructed on each side of the ravelins, like the lunets, but differing in this, that one of the faces of the tenaillon is in the direction of the ravelin, whereas that of the lunet is perpendicular to it. Cyc.

TEN'AN-CY, n. [Sp. tenencia; Fr. tenant; L. tenens.]

In law, a holding or possession of lands or tenements; tenure; as, tenancy in fee simple; tenancy in tail; tenancy by the courtesy; tenancy at will. Tenancy in common happens where there is a unity of possession merely. Blackstone.

TEN'ANT, n. [Fr. tenant, from tenir, to hold; L. teneo; Gr. τεινω, to strain, stretch, extend; W. tannu, to stretch; tynu, to pull; tyn, a stretch; ten, drawn; It. tenere, Sp. tener, to hold.]

1. A person holding land or other real estate under another, either by grant, lease, or at will; one who has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements, whose title is in another; as, a tenant in tail; tenant in common; tenant by the courtesy; tenant in parcenery; tenant for life; tenant at will; tenant in dower.
2. One who has possession of any place; a dweller. The happy tenant of your shade. Cowley. Tenant in capite, or tenant in chief, by the laws of England, is one who holds immediately of the king. According to the feudal system, all lands in England are considered as held immediately or mediately of the king, who is styled lord paramount. Such tenants, however, are considered as having the fee of the lands and permanent possession. Blackstone.

TEN'ANT, v.t.

To hold or possess as a tenant. Sir Roger's estate is tenanted by persons who have served him or his ancestors. Addison.

TEN'ANT-A-BLE, a.

Fit to be rented; in a state of repair suitable for a tenant.

TEN'ANT-ED, pp.

Held by a tenant.

TEN'ANT-ING, ppr.

Holding as a tenant.

TEN'ANT-LESS, a.

Having no tenant; unoccupied; as, a tenantless mansion. Thodey.