temper

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“
Buestom--or "Bues," his enemies called him--must have had liver complaint, for his temper was always riled like stagnant water full of crawfish; and when Captain Bobson left the company for a few weeks to go on a hunt up the St. Joe River, the "non-coms" resigned in a body, every man of them, so hot did he make it for them during that brief period.

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Definitions (56)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (16)

  1. transitive verb To modify by the addition of a moderating element; moderate: "temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom” (Robert H. Jackson). See Synonyms at moderate.
  2. transitive verb To bring to a desired consistency, texture, hardness, or other physical condition by or as if by blending, admixing, or kneading: temper clay; paints that had been tempered with oil.
  3. transitive verb To harden or strengthen (metal or glass) by application of heat or by heating and cooling.
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Examples (50)

  • In the moonlight, Arabella's fiery blush faded into more delicate tints but the effect on her temper was the same. —  Stephanie Laurens - Four In Hand
  • The loss of his temper was a sign of that failure and he was ashamed of himself, but if the girl would not talk then Corday could not be saved. —  Gallows Thief by Bernard Cornwell
  • "Warren" was supposed to be nearly 200 years old, and his temper could be absolutely relied on. —  The Days Before Yesterday
  • Louddon proved her comment about his temper was accurate. —  Garwood, Julie - Honor's Splendour
  • Buestom--or "Bues," his enemies called him--must have had liver complaint, for his temper was always riled like stagnant water full of crawfish; and when Captain Bobson left the company for a few weeks to go on a hunt up the St. Joe River, the "non-coms" resigned in a body, every man of them, so hot did he make it for them during that brief period. —  Bamboo Tales
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

disposition ·  mood ·  passion ·  humour ·  courage ·  pride ·  spirit ·  anger ·  enthusiasm ·  genius ·  intelligence

Used in the same contextWord Family

temper:   tempers ·  tempering ·  tempered
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English temperen, from Old English temprian, from Latin temperāre, probably from variant of tempus, tempor-, time, season.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English temperen, tempiren, tempren, from Anglo-Saxon *temprian = Old French temprer, French tremper = Provencal temprar, trempar = Spanish templar = Portuguese temperar = Italian temperare, from Latin temperare, divide or proportion duly, mingle in due proportion, qualify, temper, regulate, rule, intransitive observe measure, be moderate or temperate, from tempus, time, fit season: see temporal. Cf. tamper, v. Hence also ult. attemper, attemperate, contemper, distemper, temperate, etc.
  2. = Italian tempera, tempra, temper, kind, sort, tempera; from the verb.
 

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/ˈtɛmpər/
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