tempo
[ tem-poh ]
/ ˈtɛm poʊ /
noun, plural tem·pos, tem·pi [tem-pee] /ˈtɛm pi/.
Music. relative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.
characteristic rate, rhythm, or pattern of work or activity: the tempo of city life.
Chess. the gaining or losing of time and effectiveness relative to one's continued mobility or developing position, especially with respect to the number of moves required to gain an objective: Black gained a tempo.
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Nearby words
Origin of tempo
1680–90; < Italian < Latin tempus time
Definition for tempo (2 of 2)
a tempo
[ ah-tem-poh; Italian ah-tem-paw ]
/ ɑˈtɛm poʊ; Italian ɑˈtɛm pɔ /
adverb Music.
resuming the speed obtained preceding ritardando or accelerando.
Origin of a tempo
1730–40; < Italian: in (the regular) time
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for tempo
British Dictionary definitions for tempo (1 of 2)
tempo
/ (ˈtɛmpəʊ) /
noun plural -pos or -pi (-piː)
the speed at which a piece or passage of music is meant to be played, usually indicated by a musical direction (tempo marking) or metronome marking
rate or pace
Word Origin for tempo
C18: from Italian, from Latin tempus time
British Dictionary definitions for tempo (2 of 2)
a tempo
/ (ɑː ˈtɛmpəʊ) music /
adjective, adverb
to the original tempo
noun
a passage thus marked
Also: tempo primo
Word Origin for a tempo
Italian: in (the original) time
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for tempo
tempo
"relative speed of a piece of music," 1724, from Italian tempo, literally "time" (plural tempi), from Latin tempus (genitive temporis) "time" (see temporal). Extended to non-musical senses 1898.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for tempo
tempo
In music, the speed at which a piece is performed. It is the Italian word for “time.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.