Tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type, and composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below middle C to the G above middle C in choral music, and from the second B flat below middle C to the C above middle C in operatic music. The name "tenor" derives from the Latin word tenere, which means "to hold". In addition to the standard tenor voice, there are several subtypes of tenor, including the leggero tenor, lyric tenor, spinto tenor, dramatic tenor, heldentenor, and tenor buffo or spieltenor.
Outside of music, the word "tenor" can also refer to the drift or purport of something spoken or written, an exact copy of a writing, or the concept, object, or person meant in a metaphor. It can also be used as an adjective to describe something relating to or having the range or part of a tenor, such as a tenor saxophone or difficult tenor parts in music.
