LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension one-termination adjective

tenāx

tenāx (genitive tenācis, comparative tenācior)
Classical[ˈtɛ.naːks]Ecclesiastical[ˈtɛː.naks]

Meaning

  1. one terminationclinging
  2. one terminationtenacious
  3. one terminationclose-fisted, niggardly, stingy
  4. one terminationfirm, steadfast, persistent

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quī tenet nec dīmittit
tenāx -ācis — in Aeneis, ch. 10

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativetenāxtenāxtenāx
genitivetenācistenācistenācis
dativetenācītenācītenācī
accusativetenācemtenācemtenāx
ablativetenācī
tenāce		tenācī
tenāce		tenācī
tenāce
vocativetenāxtenāxtenāx
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativetenācēstenācēstenācia
genitivetenāciumtenāciumtenācium
dativetenācibustenācibustenācibus
accusativetenācīs
tenācēs		tenācīs
tenācēs		tenācia
ablativetenācibustenācibustenācibus
vocativetenācēstenācēstenācia

tĕnax, ācis, adj. id.,
I. holding fast, griping, tenacious.
I. Lit.
A. In gen. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): prensatque tenaci forcipe ferrum, Verg. A. 12, 404; 8, 453; cf.: dente tenaci Ancora fundabat naves, id. ib. 6, 3: vinclum, id. G. 4, 412; Ov. M. 11, 252: complexus, id. ib. 4, 377: lappa, id. P. 2, 1, 14: hedera arborem implicat, Cat. 61, 34: loca limosa tenacia gravi caeno, Tac. A. 1, 63: amplexus, App. M. 9, p. 219, 17: maltha, quae est res omnium tenacissima, Plin. 36, 24, 58, § 181.— With gen.: herba asperitate etiam vestium tenaci, Plin. 27, 5, 15, § 32. — Comp.: cutis tenacior capilli, Plin. 22, 22, 39, § 82.—
b. Subst.: tĕnāces, ĭum, m., things that hold fast. i. e. bands, stalks, or pedicles of fruit, etc., Pall. Febr. 18, 1; 25, 9; id. Mart. 10, 4 and 9; id. Sept. 17.—
B. In partic., holding fast to wealth, power, etc., griping, sparing, niggardly, stingy, tenacious (class.; syn. parcus): filius familias patre parco ac tenaci, Cic. Cael. 15, 36: He. Tenaxne pater ejus est? Phi. Immo edepol pertinax, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 39: parcus, truculentus, tenax, Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 12: eosdem restrictos et tenaces fuisse, Cic. Planc. 22, 54: non tenax in largitate, Spart. Car. 5.—With gen.: genus Quaesiti tenax, Ov. M. 7, 657.—Comp.: milites tenaciores eorum (armorum) in proelio, Suet. Caes. 67.—
C. Transf., of things, that holds or sticks fast: jacere in tenaci gramine, that clings together, i. e. matted, Hor. Epod. 2, 24.—Sup.: glaebis tenacissimum solum, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 10: cerae, sticky, viscid, Verg. G. 4, 161: turpe referre pedem nec passu stare tenaci, Ov. P. 2, 6, 21.— Comp.: pondere tenacior navis, Liv. 28, 30, 11: panicula glutino tenacior, Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158.—
II. Trop.
A. Holding fast, retentive, firm, steadfast, persistent, tenacious (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose); usually joined with gen.: memoria tenacissima, Quint. 1, 1, 19: naturā tenacissimi sumus eorum, quae rudibus annis percepimus, id. 1, 1, 5: pertinacem ultra modum esse tenacem propositi, id. 11, 1, 90; so, propositi, Hor. C. 3, 3, 1; Ov. M. 10, 405: tenacem esse sui juris debet, Col. 1, 7, 2: disciplinae tenacissimus, Plin. Ep. 10, 85 (17): justitiae, Juv. 8, 25: ficti pravique (Fama), Verg. A. 4, 188: veri, Pers. 5, 48: amicitiarum, Vell. 2, 29, 3: exempli sui, id. 2, 84, 3 Ruhnk.: animi, Manil. 4, 165: longa tenaxque fides, Ov. Am. 2, 6, 14.—
B. In a bad sense, stubborn, obstinate: equus contra sua vincla tenax, Ov. Am. 3, 4, 13; so, equus, Liv. 39, 25, 13; and in a lusus verbb.: si esses equos, esses indomabilis ... nimis tenax es, Plaut. Cas. 4, 3, 13: cum video, quam sint mea fata tenacia, frangor, Ov. P. 1, 2, 63: ira Caesaris, id. ib. 1, 9, 28: morbi, Suet. Claud. 2.—Adv.: tĕnācĭter, closely, firmly, strongly, tightly, tenaciously.
a. Lit.: pressisse tenaciter ungues, Ov. H. 9, 21: vincire, Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 6.—Comp.: apprehendere, Val. Max. 7, 5, 2; Macr. S. 7, 3: habitare, Aug. Ep. 6.—
b. Trop., persistently, firmly: urgere, Ov. H. 3, 43.— Comp., Sol. 52, § 44; Amm. 25, 4, 4.—Sup., App. M. 5, p. 167, 22.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ten-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*tn̥eh₁yéti
  3. Proto-Italic*tenēō
  4. Latintenāx

Latin -āx Latin tenāx From teneō (“to hold, grasp”) + -āx.

Descendants
  • Catalantenaç
  • Englishtenacious
  • Frenchtenace
  • Italiantenace
  • Portuguesetenaz
  • Romaniantenace
  • Sardiniantenaghe
  • Spanishtenaz
  • Spanishtenaza
  • Galiciantenaz

In English words that came into English from tenāx

  • tenacioustenāx
  • tenacitytenācitās
  • pertinaciouspertinax
  • pertinaciouslypertināx
  • tenacetenāx

Quick answers

What does tenāx mean in Latin?
tenāx, a adjective, means “clinging; tenacious; close-fisted, niggardly, stingy”.
How do you pronounce tenāx?
In classical Latin, [ˈtɛ.naːks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈtɛː.naks].
Where does tenāx come from?
Proto-Indo-European *ten- → Proto-Indo-European *tn̥eh₁yéti → Proto-Italic *tenēō → Latin tenāx.
Which English words come from tenāx?
English words that go back to Latin tenāx include tenacious, tenace, tenacity, pertinacious and pertinaciously.