Phrase guide

tenor clef

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

a musical clef that is higher than the bass clef and lower than the alto clef where the A that is a third lower than middle C is the center line

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a clef that puts middle C on the fourth line of the staff; used for writing music for bassoons or cellos or tenor horns

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clef

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: tenorsleutel — Translations
  • Finnish: tenoriavain — Translations
  • German: Tenorschlüssel — Translations
  • Polish: klucz tenorowy — Translations
  • Russian: теноро́вый ключ (tenoróvyj ključ) — Translations