tɛnə(ɹ) tɛnə(ɹ) of or close in range to the highest natural adult male voice tenor voice (of a musical instrument) intermediate between alto and baritone or bass a tenor sax the pitch range of the highest male voice the general meaning or substance of an utterance although I disagreed with him, I could follow the tenor of his argument a settled or prevailing or habitual course of a person's life nothing disturbed the even tenor of her ways the adult male singing voice above baritone an adult male with a tenor voice