tempo

American  

[tem-poh] / ˈtɛm poʊ /

noun

plural

tempos, tempi

1. Music. relative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.

2. characteristic rate, rhythm, or pattern of work or activity.

   the tempo of city life.

3. 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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tempo British  

/ ˈtɛmpəʊ /

noun

1. 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

2. rate or pace

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tempo Cultural  

1. In music, the speed at which a piece is performed. It is the Italian word for “time.”

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Etymology

Origin of tempo

1680–90; < Italian < Latin tempus time

Example Sentences

He sings the chorus, then cranks up the tempo a notch and suddenly starts belting the Beatles’ “Get Back,” before smoothly transitioning once more into his own song.

From Los Angeles Times

Spiro favors crawling tempos and unadorned piano melodies, which leave more room for her husky voice.

From The Wall Street Journal

AI companies say the tempo is rising in part because they are using their own tools to code.

From The Wall Street Journal

This year, it’s a total free-for-all, as competitors scramble to keep a minimum tempo of 120 beats per minute for 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

From The Wall Street Journal

Virgo's voice came with a sing-song tempo, rising and falling in that familiar brogue.

From BBC

Related Words

• cadence
• momentum
• pace
• velocity