tennis court

A court or alley in which tennis is played. ( Shakesp.: Henry IV., Pt. II., ii. 2.) *těn'-nis, v. t. [TENNIS, 8.] To drive backward and forward, as a ball in the game of tennis. "Those four garrisons i uing forth upon the enemy, will so drive him from one side to another, and tennis him amongst them, that he shall find no where safe to keep his feet in, nor hide himself."- Spenser : On Ireland. těn-on, *ten-oun, *ten-non, *ten-own, *tenant, *ten-ent, subst . [Fr. tenon , from tenir : Lat. teneo =to hold.] Carp .: The projecting end of a piece of timber fitted for insertion into a mortise, formed by cutting away a portion on one or more sides; sometimes made cylindrical. The usual joint in putting up wooden frames, whether of buildings or machines. Tenons are secured in their mortises by pins, or by giving them a dovetail, which is driven into the indercut mortise by means of a wedge or backing-block. "A mortice and tenon, or ball-and socket joint, is wanted at the hip." Paley : Nat . Theol ., ch. viii. IMG:content-0909.png:[blocks in formation] 2. Music : (1) The third of the four kinds of voices arranged with regard to their compa . It is the highest of the male chest voices, and its extent lies between tenor Cand treble A. The tenor voice is sometimes called by way of distinction "the human voice," from an idea that it is the quality and compa of voice most common to man. The Plain Song of the Church was formerly given as a tenor part, the harmonies being constructed above and below it. The name is derived from the holding or sustaining note which was given formerly to this voice. In old music the tenor voice was divided into three cla es, high, mean, and low tenor. (2) The third of the four parts in which concerted or harmonized music for mixed voices is usually composed; the part above the ba . Formerly the music for this part was written on a staff marked with the tenor clef; but now it is generally written in displayed or full-score music on the staff marked with the treble clef, and is sung an octave lower. In compre ed and short-score music it is written on the ba staff and its supplementary upper ledger-lines. (3) One who po e es a tenor voice; one who sings a tenor part. (4) An instrument which plays a tenor part. (5) The larger violin of low pitch is called the tenor, alto viola, bratsche, and sometimes alto violin. IMG:content-0910.png:[blocks in formation] Tenore buffo , a tenor singer to whom is a igned a comic part in an opera; Tenore leggiero , a tenor singer with a voice of light, small quality; Tenore robusto , a tenor singer with a full. strong, sonorous voice.