tent
/tɛnt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.05 in modern English
4
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins, canvas, or some strong cloth, stretched and sustained by poles, used for sheltering people from the weather.
noun
A portable pulpit set up outside to accommodate worshippers who cannot fit into a church.
noun
A trouser tent; a piece of fabric, etc. protruding outward like a tent.
verb
To prop up aluminum foil in an inverted "V" (reminiscent of a pop-up tent) over food to reduce splatter, before putting it in the oven.
Example Sentences
- "We were camping in a three-man tent."
- "We bought a new tent that can be put up in five seconds, but it took about twenty minutes to take it down and pack it away."
- "A splendid tent was erected on the brae north of the town, and round that the countless congregation assembled."
- "[…] feeling his erection making a tent in his pants."
- "We’ll be tenting at the campground this weekend."
- "The sheet tented over his midsection."
Etymology
From Middle English tente, borrowed from Old French tente, from Vulgar Latin *tenta (“tent”), from the feminine of Latin tentus, ptp. of tendere (“to stretch, extend”), or contracted from *tendita as an alternate past participle. Displaced native Middle English tild, tilt (“tent, tilt”), from Old English teld (“tent”). Compare Spanish tienda (“store, shop; tent”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
- Archaic
- Intransitive verb
- British usage