tempo en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈtɛm.pəʊ/ (UK)
- /ˈtɛm.poʊ/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian tempo, from Latin tempus (“time”). Doublet of tense. (truck or cargo van): A genericized trademark, originally associated with the manufacturer Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke GmbH.
Meanings
-
A frequency or rate.
10 calls per hour isn't a bad start, but we'll need to up the tempo if we want to reach our target of selling insurance policies.
- 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 (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.
- The timing advantage of being on lead, thus being first to initiate a strategy to develop tricks for one's side.
-
The timing of a particular event – earlier or later than in an alternative situation.
the tempo effect in fertility measurements
-
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)
The conductor asked the orchestra to increase the tempo.
The dancer kept pace with the shifting tempo of the music.
The song has a slow tempo that makes it relaxing.
- The steady pace set by the frontmost riders.
-
A small truck or cargo van with three or four wheels, commonly used for commercial transport and deliveries (particularly in Asian and African countries).
From the back door of a tempo with his too-strong hands he lifted a woman wearing red clothes, like a precious jewel wrapped in gold embroidered cloth.
2025, Banu Mushtaq, “Be a Woman Once, Oh Lord!”, in Deepa Bhasthi, transl., Heart Lamp, And Other Stories, page 208:
- A rapid rate of play by the offense resulting from reducing the amount of time which elapses after one play ends and the next starts.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tempi | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| tempos | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
high-tempo · tempo mark · downtempo · midtempo · tempoed
Relateds
tempo giusto · l'istesso tempo · one step ahead · tempo rubato
Translations (55)
fi tempo (frequency or rate) · es tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · mi whakataki (frequency or rate) · es tempo (cycling: steady pace set by the frontmost riders) · nb tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · fi tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · ko 템포 (music: number of beats per minute) · nn tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · af tempo (timing of a particular event) · bg те́мпо (music: number of beats per minute) · vi nhịp độ (music: number of beats per minute) · sv tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · el ρυθμός (frequency or rate) · ja テンポ (music: number of beats per minute) · la temporum intervalla (music: number of beats per minute) · th เทมโป (music: number of beats per minute) · hi लय (music: number of beats per minute) · fi tavaramopo (small truck or cargo van) · pl tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · cmn 拍子 (music: number of beats per minute) · ms tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · de Tempo (frequency or rate) · be тэмп (frequency or rate) · af tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · de Tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · be тэмп (music: number of beats per minute) · es tempo (frequency or rate) · nn tempo (frequency or rate) · mi tukituki (frequency or rate) · cmn （音乐的）速度 (music: number of beats per minute) · bg темпо (frequency or rate) · nb tempo (frequency or rate) · it ritmo (frequency or rate) · id tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · el ρυθμός (music: number of beats per minute) · fi ajoitus (timing of a particular event) · mi taki (music: number of beats per minute) · fi tempo (chess: type of move) · fr tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · fr tempo (frequency or rate) · pl tempo (frequency or rate) · da tempo (frequency or rate) · he קֶצֶב (music: number of beats per minute) · ru темп (music: number of beats per minute) · af tempo (frequency or rate) · fi tempo (cycling: steady pace set by the frontmost riders) · bg темпо (bridge: timing advantage of being on lead) · it tempo (music: number of beats per minute) · es tempo (chess: type of move) · fi tahti (frequency or rate) · ta தாப்பு (music: number of beats per minute) · uk темп (music: number of beats per minute) · uk темп (frequency or rate) · af tempo (cycling: steady pace set by the frontmost riders) · ru темп (frequency or rate)