tent

¹

[ tent ]

noun

1. a portable shelter of skins, canvas, plastic, or the like, supported by one or more poles or a frame and often secured by ropes fastened to pegs in the ground.
2. something that resembles a tent.
3. tent dress.

verb (used with object)

1. to lodge in tents.
2. to cover with or as if with a tent:

   In winter the tennis courts are tented in plastic.

verb (used without object)

1. to live in a tent; encamp.

tent

²

[ tent ]

noun

1. a roll or pledget, usually of soft absorbent material, as lint or gauze, for dilating an orifice, keeping a wound open, etc.
2. a probe.

verb (used with object)

1. to keep (a wound) open with a tent.

tent

³

[ tent ]

verb (used with object)

, Chiefly Scot.

1. to give or pay attention to; heed.

tent

¹

/ tɛnt /

noun

1. 1. a portable shelter of canvas, plastic, or other waterproof material supported on poles and fastened to the ground by pegs and ropes
   2. ( as modifier )

      tent peg

2. something resembling this in function or shape

verb

1. intr to camp in a tent
2. tr to cover with or as if with a tent or tents
3. tr to provide with a tent as shelter

tent

²

/ tɛnt /

noun

1. obsolete.
   a red table wine from Alicante, Spain

tent

³

/ tɛnt /

noun

1. a plug of soft material for insertion into a bodily canal, etc, to dilate it or maintain its patency

verb

1. tr to insert such a plug into (a bodily canal, etc)

tent

⁴

/ tɛnt /

noun

1. heed; attention

verb

1. to pay attention to; take notice of
2. to attend to

Derived Forms

• ˈtentless, adjective
• ˈtentˌlike, adjective
• ˈtented, adjective
• ˈtenter, noun

Other Words From

• tentless adjective
• tentlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tent¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English tente, from Old French, from Latin tenta, feminine of tentus, past participle of tendere “to extend, stretch”

Origin of tent²

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English tent(e), teint(e) “a probe,” from Middle French tente “a probe, roll of lint,” noun derivative of tenter, from Latin tentāre, variant of temptāre tempt

Origin of tent³

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, tente(n), “to plan, intend, look after,” derivative of tent(e) “attention,” shortening of attent, past participle of attenden “to pay attention to, heed,” from Old French atente “attention, intention,” from Latin attenta, feminine of attentus, past participle of attendere to attend

Word History and Origins

Origin of tent¹

C13: from Old French tente, from Latin tentōrium something stretched out, from tendere to stretch

Origin of tent²

C16: from Spanish tinto dark-coloured; see tint

Origin of tent³

C14 (in the sense: a probe): from Old French tente (noun), ultimately from Latin temptāre to try; see tempt

Origin of tent⁴

C14: from attent attend and intent

Example Sentences

Smalls puts his charisma to use, manning a barbecue grill in a tent outside the warehouse, where he’s trying to enlist his former colleagues to the cause as they come off an 11-hour shift.

From Los Angeles Times

Large groups of tents, erected as temporary shelter, disappear.

From BBC

In some of California’s liberal enclaves, homeless encampments have become full-blown tent cities.

From Los Angeles Times

After being examined in the injury tent and going back to the locker room, Dobbins stood on the sideline during the second half without visible braces or supports.

From Los Angeles Times

In the middle is the Big Apple Circus, which once again pitched its tent in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center.

From New York Times

Related Words

• canvas
• pavilion