tempo

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. 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.
2. 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

1. 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.
2. n. The characteristic rhythmical and metrical movement or pattern of a dance: as, tempo di valse, tempo di menuetto, etc.
3. 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

1. n. a frequency or rate
2. 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.
3. n. timing of a particular event – earlier or later than in an alternative situation (as in chess example)
4. 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

1. n. (Mus.) The rate or degree of movement in time.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. (music) the speed at which a composition is to be played
2. n. the rate of some repeating event