Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Music The speed at which music is or ought to be played, often indicated on written compositions by a descriptive or metronomic direction to the performer.
- n. A characteristic rate or rhythm of activity; a pace: "the tempo and the feeling of modern life” ( Robert L. Heilbroner).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In music, the relative rapidity of rhythm; time; movement. It is indicated either by such terms as grave, lento, adagio, moderato, allegro, presto, etc. (see these words), with various modifying adverbs, like molto, non troppo, piu, etc., or by reference to a machine called the metronome (which see). A modification of the original tempo of a given piece is indicated by terms like accelerando, stringendo. rallentando, ritenuto, etc. After such modification, a return to the original tempo is marked by a tempo or a tempo primo. An irregular or capricious tempo is marked by ad libitum, a piacere, or tempo rubato. A change from one kind of rhythm to another without change of speed is marked by vistesso tempo.
- n. The characteristic rhythmical and metrical movement or pattern of a dance: as, tempo di valse, tempo di menuetto, etc.
- n. An oval brass coin, with a square hole in the middle, first coined in Japan during the period “tempo” (1830–43 inclusive), and now equal to eight rin or cash, or eight tenths of a sen. One hundred and twenty-five tempos make one yen.
Wiktionary
- n. a frequency or rate
- n. chess a move which is part of one's own plan or strategy and forces, e.g. by means of a check or attacking a piece, the opponent to make a move which is not bad but of no use for him (the player gains a tempo, the opponent loses a tempo), or equivalently a player achieves the same result in fewer moves by one approach rather than another.
- n. timing of a particular event – earlier or later than in an alternative situation (as in chess example)
- n. music The number of beats per minute in a piece of music; also, an indicative term denoting approximate rate of speed in written music (examples: allegro, andante)
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Mus.) The rate or degree of movement in time.
WordNet 3.0
- n. (music) the speed at which a composition is to be played
- n. the rate of some repeating event
Etymologies
- Italian, from Latin tempus, time. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“After any modification in tempo (either faster or slower) has been suggested it is usual to indicate a return to the normal rate by some such expression as _a tempo_ (lit. in time), _a tempo primo_ (lit. in the first time), _tempo primo_, or _tempo_.”
“Before the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he wasn't sure how his team would react to the long layoff or the change in tempo from the high-scoring series against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals that ended in five games more than a week ago.”
“Controlling the tempo is a strategy, going back to the 4-corners in college ball, and the ability to do it well indicates defensive skill.”
“In his writings he at first indicated this manner which gave so individual an impress to his virtuosity by the term tempo rubato: stolen, broken time ” a measure at once supple, abrupt, and languid, vacillating like the flame under the breath which agitates it, like the corn in a field swayed by the soft pressure of a warm air, like the top of trees bent hither and thither by a keen breeze.”
“Slow in tempo and often sweet, odd moments of discord in this piece seem to suggest the anxiety beneath.”
“And the tempo is high enough for one to wiggle around to.”
“With only 15 days to go until midterm election day on 2 November, the tempo is getting faster as candidates in crucial marginal seats scour their districts for votes and debates – such as the one between Rand Paul and Jack Conway last night – take centre stage.”
The Guardian: Midterm elections live blog - Monday 18 October
“[WYWH tempo is variable, but other than that, unbelievable.]”
“Later, once the basic techniques are mastered, the teacher introduces the concept of making the notes sound like music by playing them to a certain tempo or time.”
The Huffington Post: Arthur Rosenfeld: Paying Attention to the Space Between Life's Notes
“M.M., or D.M.A. Mastery is singing or playing on key, in tempo, with flawless tone and/or diction, and precise emotional expression.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘tempo’.
-
Muse's tacet ,to learn
Music brings silence's to raging thoughts and temperament , calm, as it is our object of definite purpose.
tacet, cadence, tempo, treble clef, penultimate, lexicon, origin, orchestra, kantele, magus, eros, coalesce and 248 more...
-
SPOR - Olympic glossary
weightlift, orbitale, figure skate, speed skate, synchronizer, equestrian sport, bobsleigh, starting block, diesis, ligne, piste, water ski and 521 more...
-
Brand Theft Auto
A marque list for cars--models or companies who've used common words as their name.
explorer, navigator, frontier, mustang, quest, cougar, sidekick, legend, legacy, ranger, voyager, civic and 266 more...
-
Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
-
AGRI - horse breeding
driving, implement, Trot, speed, exhale, dope, obstacle, tail, plow, coloration, para, weaving and 678 more...
-
MUSIC - jazz
Afro, habanera, pentatonic scale, bop, bebop, jazz, cool jazz, pentatonic, malignment, music genre, jazz musician, syncopate and 437 more...
-
MUSIC - ALL TERMS
With focus on non-classical styles, but not excluding terms of the latter.
banjo, accompaniment, acoustic bass, bass guitar, bass clef, ground, brass, cornet, Mute, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, arrangement and 866 more...
-
Music lingo
unsyncopated rhythms, tonal harmonies, ambient soundscapes, bass line, synths, mellow, trippy, instrumental, vocal harmony, vamping, tonality, riff and 47 more...
-
The Sog Collection
My big word list.
chaos, flaccid, empirical, flotsam, cacophony, grumble, assuage, awe, romance, mortality, coalesce, fortuitous and 3282 more...
-
harmony of the spheres
tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, subtonic, leading tone, progression, sonata, concerto, allegro and 247 more...
-
A Matter Of Time
Favorite time-related words.
vespertine, twilight, gloaming, eftsoon, eventide, dawn, eos, dusk, witching hour, ephemeral, candlemark, autumnal and 122 more...
-
mandarine's Words
antepenultimate, metonymy, synecdoche, pop, kern, inherit, clique, scrumptious, macerate, murmur, kerning, veranda and 1068 more...
-
Beautiful Music
a cappella, accelerando, accompagnato, adagio, ad libitum, agitato, aleatory, alla breve, allegro, allemande, alto, andante and 548 more...
-
Negasonic Teenage Warhead
"Wow, we really have run out of names."
Codenames of superheroes, supervillains, etc. (that are actual words, or unique spellings of actual words).rogue, gambit, wolverine, storm, cyclops, phoenix, cypher, beast, berzerker, toad, avalanche, magma and 125 more...
-
HorsesintheSouth
Words pertaining to horses, equines, equestrians
horse, equine, equestrian, dressage, hunter, jumper, puissance, capriole, sidepass, levade, augurian, coop and 296 more...
-
ash
ash
abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abide, abject, abjure and 4874 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for tempo.

rfb Laura Bush's Secret Service code name... Nov 14, 2008
seanahan In chess, tempo refers to the moves. Gaining a tempo means accomplishing a task one move faster than your opponent, and allows you to move onto your next attack. Jul 27, 2008