verbsecond conjugation
teneō
teneō (present infinitive tenēre, perfect active tenuī or tetinī, supine tentum)
Classical[ˈtɛ.ne.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈtɛː.ne.o]
tenēns pres. act. ptcp.№ 106 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to hold, have; to grasp
- to possess, occupy, control
- to watch, guard, maintain, defend; to retain, keep
- to reach, attain; to gain, acquire, obtain
- to hold fast or back, restrain, detain, check, confine, control; to bind, fetter
“Nec tē noster amor, nec tē data dextera quondam,
“[So nothing] detains you [from leaving]? Not our love? Not having once given me your hand? Not [even the thought of your] Dido about to die a cruel death?”29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.307–308 - reflexiveto keep back, remain, stay, hold position
- to know, grasp, understand, conceive
- to recollect, retain knowledge of, remember, bear in mind
- to insist, uphold
- to be binding on; to bind, hold, obligate
- to arrive at a place, reach
- to set, fix, hold on a fixed position
- to hold in prison
- to comprise, contain, include, hold
- to hold someone's interest, to be interesting (to someone)
Hic liber me tenet.
This book interests me; I find this book interesting. - to embrace, hug
- to hold on, last
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Tenere · Habere · Possidere
Tenere (from τείνειν) means, to have anything fast in one’s hand, and in physical possession; habere (from σχέω) to have in one’s power, and in effective possession; possidere (from ποτί and sedere) to have, as one’s own property, and in legal possession, Plin. Ep. i. 16. Tenet, habet, possidet. (vi. 366.)
Conjugation conjugation 2
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | teneō | tenēbam | tenēbō | tenuī tetinī | tenueram tetineram | tenuerō tetinerō |
| 2nd sg. | tenēs | tenēbās | tenēbis | tenuistī tetinistī | tenuerās tetinerās | tenueris tetineris |
| 3rd sg. | tenet | tenēbat | tenēbit | tenuit tetinit | tenuerat tetinerat | tenuerit tetinerit |
| 1st pl. | tenēmus | tenēbāmus | tenēbimus | tenuimus tetinimus | tenuerāmus tetinerāmus | tenuerimus tetinerimus |
| 2nd pl. | tenētis | tenēbātis | tenēbitis | tenuistis tetinistis | tenuerātis tetinerātis | tenueritis tetineritis |
| 3rd pl. | tenent | tenēbant | tenēbunt | tenuērunt tenuēre, tetinērunt, tetinēre | tenuerant tetinerant | tenuerint tetinerint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | teneam | tenērem | tenuerim tetinerim | tenuissem tetinissem |
| 2nd sg. | teneās | tenērēs | tenuerīs tetinerīs | tenuissēs tetinissēs |
| 3rd sg. | teneat | tenēret | tenuerit tetinerit | tenuisset tetinisset |
| 1st pl. | teneāmus | tenērēmus | tenuerīmus tetinerīmus | tenuissēmus tetinissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | teneātis | tenērētis | tenuerītis tetinerītis | tenuissētis tetinissētis |
| 3rd pl. | teneant | tenērent | tenuerint tetinerint | tenuissent tetinissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | teneor | tenēbar | tenēbor |
| 2nd sg. | tenēris tenēre | tenēbāris tenēbāre | tenēberis tenēbere |
| 3rd sg. | tenētur | tenēbātur | tenēbitur |
| 1st pl. | tenēmur | tenēbāmur | tenēbimur |
| 2nd pl. | tenēminī | tenēbāminī | tenēbiminī |
| 3rd pl. | tenentur | tenēbantur | tenēbuntur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | tenear | tenērer |
| 2nd sg. | teneāris teneāre | tenērēris tenērēre |
| 3rd sg. | teneātur | tenērētur |
| 1st pl. | teneāmur | tenērēmur |
| 2nd pl. | teneāminī | tenērēminī |
| 3rd pl. | teneantur | tenērentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | tenē | tenēre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | tenēte | tenēminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | tenētō | tenētor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | tenētō | tenētor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | tenētōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | tenentō | tenentor |
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | tenēre | tenērī |
| perfect infinitive | tenuisse tetinisse | tentum esse |
| future infinitive | tentūrum esse | tentum īrī |
| present participle | tenēns tenente, tenentem, tenentēs, tenentī, tenentia, tenentibus, tenentis, tenentīs, tenentium | — |
| perfect participle | — | tentus tenta, tentā, tentae, tentam, tentārum, tentās, tente, tentī, tentīs, tentō, tentōrum, tentōs |
| future participle | tentūrus tentūra, tentūrā, tentūrae, tentūram, tentūrārum, tentūrās, tentūre, tentūrī, tentūrīs, tentūrō, tentūrōrum, tentūrōs, tentūrum | tenendus |
gerundtenendī, tenendō, tenendumsupinetentum, tentū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- lege teneri
- to be bound by a law.
- lecto teneri
- to be confined to one's bed.
- animos tenere
- to rivet the attention of...
- clavum tenere
- to steer.
- domi se tenere
- to never appear in public.
- illud, hoc teneo
- I abide by this opinion.
- institutum tenere
- to remain true to one's principles.
- magno errore teneri
- to be in gross error, seriously misled.
37 more phrases
- risum tenere vix posse
- to be scarcely able to restrain one's laughter.
- spe duci, niti, teneri
- to cherish a hope.
- memoriā tenere aliquid
- to remember a thing perfectly.
- mordicus tenere aliquid
- to hold fast in the teeth (also metaphorically, obstinately).
- lacrimas tenere non posse
- to be hardly able to restrain one's tears.
- ius suum tenere, obtinere
- to maintain one's right.
- clavum rei publicae tenere
- to hold the reins of government.
- studio alicuius rei teneri
- to have an inclination for a thing.
- tenere montem (B. G. 1. 22)
- to hold a mountain.
- se (quietum) tenere castris
- to remain inactive in camp.
- oppidum in obsidione tenere
- to keep a town in a state of siege.
- imber tenet (Liv. 23. 44. 6)
- the rain continues.
- memoriam alicuius rei tenere
- to remember a thing perfectly.
- imperium tenere (in aliquem)
- to have power over some one.
- principatum tenere, obtinere
- to occupy the leading position.
- manu or in manu tenere aliquid
- to hold something in one's hand.
- eloquentiae principatum tenere
- to be considered the foremost orator.
- recenti memoria tenere aliquid
- to have a vivid recollection of a thing.
- testibus teneri, convictum esse
- to be convicted by some one's evidence.
- tenere aliquid; stare in aliqua re
- to insist on a point.
- imperii summam tenere (Rep. 2. 28)
- to be commander-in-chief.
- fide obstrictum teneri (Pis. 13. 29)
- to be bound by one's word; to be on one's honour.
tĕnĕo, tĕnŭi, tentum, 2 (
I. perf. subj. tetinerim, Pac. ap. Non. 178, 15:
tetinerit, Att. ib. 178, 12: tetinisse, Pac. ib. 178, 11; fut. perf. tetinero, acc. to Fest. p. 252 Müll. Another collat. form of the perf. tenivi, acc. to Charis. p. 220 P.; Diom. pp. 363 and 369 ib.), v. a. and n. root ten-, tan-; Gr. τάνυμαι, τείνω; Sanscr. tanomi, to stretch, spread; this root appears in many derived meanings; cf. Lat.: tendo, tenuis, tener, tenor, tenus. I. Act., to hold, keep, have in the hand, in the mouth, etc.
A. Lit.
1. In gen.: Eu. Porrige bracchium, prehende: jam tenes? Cha. Teneo. Eu. Tene, Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 42; cf.
argentum, id. Pers. 3, 3, 9: cum pyxidem teneret in manu, Cic. Cael. 26, 63; for which: aliquid manu, Quint. 10, 7, 31; Ov. M. 11, 560; id. A. A. 1, 320; Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 34: aliquid dextrā, Ov. F. 1, 99: digitis, id. ib. 2, 102; id. M. 9, 86; 9, 522: lacertis, id. ib. 2, 100 al.: radicem ore, Cic. Div. 2, 68, 141: cibum ore, Phaedr. 1, 4, 6; for which: decoctum diu in ore, Plin. 25, 13, 105, § 166: aliquem in sinu, Ov. H. 3, 114; for which: aliquem sinu, id. ib. 13, 157: flabellulum, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 50: facem, Verg. A. 6, 224: telum, Liv. 2, 19. — Prov.: manu tenere aliquid, to seize, grasp, or comprehend a thing which is palpable or evident: aliter leges, aliter philosophi tollunt astutias: leges, quātenus manu tenere possunt; philosophi, quātenus ratione et intellegentiā, Cic. Off. 3, 17, 68; cf.: cum res non conjecturā, sed oculis ac manibus teneretur, id. Clu. 7, 20. — 2. In partic.
a. With the accessory idea of possession, to hold, i. e. to be master of, have in one's power, possess, etc. (syn.:
possideo, habeo): multa hereditatibus, multa emptionibus, multa dotibus tenebantur sine injuriā, Cic. Off. 2, 23, 81: quae tenuit dives Achaemenes, Hor. C. 2, 12, 21: Evander qui multis ante tempestatibus tenuerat loca, Liv. 1, 5: provinciam a praedonibus liberam, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 11, 32: colles praesidiis, Caes. B. C. 3, 43: Formiarum moenia et Lirim, Hor. C. 3, 17, 8: tenente Caesare terras, id. ib. 3, 14, 15: rem publicam, Cic. Mur. 39, 83; id. Sest. 19, 44: summam imperii, Caes. B. G. 3, 22: equitum centurias, Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 3: alterum cornu, to command, Nep. Pelop. 4, 3: provincias aliaque omnia, Sall. C. 39, 2: scenam, to have sole possession of. rule over, Suet. Tit. 7. — Of the possession of the object of affection: te tenet, Tib. 1, 6, 35; 2, 6, 52; Verg. E. 1, 32; Ov. H. 2, 103 Ruhnk.; 15, 88; id. Am. 3, 7, 3; Phaedr. 2, 2, 4.—In colloq. lang., teneo te, I have you once more, of again seeing the beloved person: teneone te, Antiphila, maxime animo exoptata meo? Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 27 Ruhnk.; Sen. Ben. 7, 4; Ov. H. 18, 183; cf.: et comitem Aenean juxta natumque tenebat Ingrediens, Verg. A. 8, 308.—Also like our I have you (fast, bound, etc.): teneo te, inquam, nam ista Academiae est propria sententia, Cic. Ac. 2, 48, 148; id. Quint. 20, 63.—Absol.: qui tenent (sc. rem publicam), who are in possession of the State, of public affairs: qui tenent, qui potiuntur, Cic. Att. 7, 12, 3; 2, 18, 1. — b. With the accessory idea of firmness, persistence, to hold fast, occupy; to watch, guard, defend; to maintain, retain a thing:
legio locum non tenuit atque in proximum collem se recepit, Caes. B. C. 1, 44: montes teneri, id. B. G. 3, 2: haec noctu firmis praesidiis tenebantur, id. ib. 7, 69: Capitolia celsa tenebat, Verg. A. 8, 653: quo teneam Protea nodo? Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 90: te neque intra Claustra tenebo, id. C. 3, 11, 44; cf.: in manicis et Compedibus saevo te sub custode tenebo, id. Ep. 1, 16, 77: laqueis (se) sensit teneri ... fugam frustra tentabat; at illam Lenta tenet radix exsultantemque coërcet, Ov. M. 11, 74 sq.; 1, 535: Athenae tuae sempiternam in arce oleam tenere potuerunt, Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 2: agri qui diu aquam tenent, Pall. Apr. 2, 4: classem ibi tenebat, Liv. 31, 46, 8: secundissimo vento cursum tenere, to hold or keep one's course, Cic. N. D. 3, 34, 83; cf.: vento intermisso cursum non tenuit, Caes. B. G. 5, 8; 4, 28; so, cursum, Cic. Planc. 21, 52; id. Rep. 1, 2, 3 fin.; Quint. 4, 3, 13: quo iter, Verg. A. 1, 370; Plin. Ep. 6, 16, 10: (lunam) fingunt cursus viam sub sole tenere, Lucr. 5, 714: tenuit tamen vestigia Bucar, Liv. 29, 32, 6.—c. With the accessory idea of reaching the object aimed at, to reach, attain a place:
montes effuso cursu Sabini petebant et pauci tenuere, Liv. 1, 37, 4: regionem, id. 30, 25, 11: Tenum, id. 36, 21, 1: terram, id. 37, 16, 4; 37, 11, 5; 37, 13, 4; 26, 29, 4: Hesperiam, Ov. F. 1, 498: portus, id. H. 18, 198; Tac. Agr. 38 fin.: cum quibus (navibus) Cythnum insulam tenuit, id. H. 2, 9.—d. With the accessory idea of movement impeded, to hold fast, hold back, hinder, restrain, detain, check, control, stay, etc.:
naves, quae vento tenebantur, Caes. B. G. 4, 22: quid hic agatur, scire poteris ex eo, qui litteras attulit, quem diutius tenui, quia, etc., Cic. Att. 11, 3, 1: si id te non tenet, advola, id. Fam. 16, 19: septimum jam diem Corcyrae tenebamur, id. ib. 16, 7 init.: Marcellum ab gerundis rebus valetudo adversa Nolae tenuit, Liv. 24, 20, 7: non tenebo te pluribus, Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 3; cf. absol.: ne diutius teneam, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 13, § 34: solutum (corpus) tenere, Cels. praef. med.; cf. ventrem, id. 4, 19 med.: tene linguam, Ov. F. 2, 602: pecus omne tenendum, Verg. G. 2, 371: vix a te videor posse tenere manus, Ov. Am. 1, 4, 10; so, manus, id. M. 13, 203; cf.: manum stomachumque teneto, Hor. S. 2, 7, 44: saeva tene cum Berecyntio Cornu tympana, id. C. 1, 18, 13: et Phoebi tenuere viam, i. e. impeded, closed up, Luc. 5, 136: quo me decet usque teneri? Verg. A. 5, 384: lacrimas, Caes. B. G. 1, 39; so, lacrimas in morte miserā non tenebamus, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 67, § 172: dictator exercitum in stativis tenebat, Liv. 6, 14, 1. —(b). Esp.: se tenere, to keep back, remain, stay:
Sabinus castris sese tenebat, Caes. B. G. 3, 17; 1, 40; Liv. 2, 45, 2: nullā clade acceptā castris se pavidus tenebat, id. 3, 26, 3: Hasdrubal procul ab hoste intervallo tenebat se, id. 23, 26, 2: se domi a conventu remotum tenere, Nep. Dion, 9, 1: ego tamen teneo ab accusando vix me hercule: sed tamen teneo, restrain myself, refrain, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 2, 2: nec se tenuit, quin, etc., id. Ac. 2, 4, 12; cf. mid.: teneri non potui, quin tibi apertius illud idem his litteris declararem, id. Att. 15, 14, 2; Just. 6, 7, 10; cf.: se intra silentium tenuit, Plin. Ep. 4, 17, 8: multum me intra silentium tenui, id. ib. 7, 6, 6.—B. Trop.
1. In gen., to hold, contain in the mind, to conceive, comprehend, know (syn.:
percipio, intellego): nunc ego teneo, nunc scio, Quid sit hoc negotii, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 39: tenes Quorsum haec tendant quae loquor, id. Ps. 1, 2, 81: tenes, quid dicam? Ter. Heaut. 4, 3, 22: teneo, I understand, id. And. 1, 1, 59: teneo quid erret, id. 3, 2, 18; Cic. Rep. 1, 23, 37; cf.: quibus capiatur Caesar, tenes, Caecin. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 5: quae a Romanis auguribus ignorantur, a Cilicibus ... Lyciis tenentur, Cic. Div. 1, 15, 25: quoniam ea, quae tenebatis ipsi, etiam ex me audire voluistis, id. Rep. 1, 46, 70: alicujus reconditos sensus, id. Sest. 10, 22: quo pacto cuncta tenerem, Hor. S. 2, 4, 8: et teneo melius ista, Mart. 4, 37, 7.—With inf.: nullus frugi esse homo potest, nisi qui et bene facere et male tenet, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 10; Lucr. 3, 647.—2. In partic.
a. To have possession of, have the mastery of, to control any thing:
cum rem publicam opes paucorum non virtutes tenere coeperunt, Cic. Rep. 1, 34, 51.— b. To hold fast, guard, preserve, uphold, keep, insist (syn. servo):
sin consuetudinem meam, quam in re publicā semper habui, tenuero, Cic. Phil. 1, 11, 27: ordinem, id. ib. 5, 13, 35: portum, id. Fam. 1, 9, 21: statum, id. Rep. 1, 28, 44: non tenebat ornatum suum civitas, id. ib. 1, 27, 43: si jus suum populi teneant, id. ib. 1, 32, 48: nec diutius umquam tenetur idem rei publicae modus, id. ib. 1, 44, 68: est boni viri, haec duo tenere in amicitiā, etc., id. Lael. 18, 65: morem, id. Off. 3, 10, 44; so id. Fl. 7, 15; Verg. A. 3, 408: foedus, Cic. Balb. 15, 34: tenebat non modo auctoritatem, sed etiam imperium in suos, id. Sen. 11, 37: silentium, Liv. 1, 28, 8.—c. To hold fast, maintain, support, defend, uphold, insist:
illud arcte tenent accurateque defendunt, voluptatem esse summum bonum, hold fast, maintain, Cic. Par. 1, 3, 14; cf.: illud, quod multos annos tenuisset, id. Ac. 2, 22, 71; and: quod idem Peripatetici non tenent, id. Fin. 3, 13, 44: propositum tenere, to maintain, Caes. B. C. 3, 42, 1: suas leges, Cic. Verr. 1, 4, 13: causam apud centumviros, id. Caecin. 24, 67: quo causae teste tenentur, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 43: locum quendam cum aliquo, Cic. Brut. 21, 81.— With ne: plebs tenuit, ne consules in proximum annum crearentur, Liv. 4, 30, 16: ne quid ferretur ad populum, patres tenuere, id. 3, 29, 8; 24, 19, 7. — With ut: tenuere patres, ut Fabius consul crearetur, Liv. 2, 42, 2 Weissenb. ad loc.: scripseram tenuisse Varenum ut sibi evocare testes liceret, Plin. Ep. 6, 5, 1.—d. Of memory:
alicujus memoriam cum summā benevolentiā tenere, to recollect, preserve a recollection of, Cic. Fam. 6, 2, 1.—Esp.: memoriā tenere: memoriā tenetis, compluris in Capitolio res de caelo esse percussas, you remember, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 19; id. Fam. 1, 9, 12; Caes. B. G. 1, 14; cf.: memoriā teneo, C. Sulpicium Gallum, etc., id. Rep. 1, 14, 21; v. memoria; so without memoria, to bear in mind, remember, recollect: satin' haec meministi et tenes? Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 1: numeros memini, si verba tenerem, Verg. E. 9, 45: dicta tenere, Hor. A. P. 336; id. S. 2, 4, 8: quem (Cyrum) omnia militum tenuisse creditum est nomina, Quint. 11, 2, 50; 11, 2, 45.—e. To reach an object striven after, to gain, acquire, obtain, attain (syn. assequor):
per cursum rectum regnum tenere, Cic. Agr. 2, 17, 44: Servium Tullium post hunc captivā natum, ingenio virtute regnum tenuisse, Liv. 4, 3, 12: teneri res aliter non potest, Cic. Fam. 1, 1, 3: multa tenuisse, Liv. 42, 11, 8: causam, Ov. M. 13, 190.—f. To hold, hold back, repress, restrain, bind, fetter, etc. (syn.:
refreno, retineo): iracundiam teneat, avaritiam coërceat, Cic. Par. 5, 1, 33: dolorem, id. Att. 12, 38, 2: cupiditates, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 1, § 3: somnum, id. Brut. 80, 278: risum, id. Vatin. 8, 20; Hor. A. P. 5: iram, Curt. 4, 2, 5: ea, quae occurrant, tenere, to hold back, keep to themselves, Cic. de Or. 2, 54, 221.—g. Of laws, etc., to bind, hold, obligate, be binding on, control, etc.:
quamquam leges eum non tenent, Cic. Phil. 11, 5, 11; cf.: interdicto non teneri, id. Caecin. 14, 41: voto quodam et promisso teneri, id. Att. 12, 18, 1: ut plebi scita omnes Quirites tenerent, Liv. 8, 12, 14; cf.: olim patricii dicebant se plebi scitis non teneri, Gai. Inst. 1, 3: cum velut in controverso jure esset, tenerenturne patres plebi scitis, legem tulere, ut quod tributim plebis jussisset, populum teneret, Liv. 3, 55, 3: teneri alienis foederibus, id. 24, 29, 11: poenā teneri, to be subject or liable to, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5: testibus in re perspicuā teneri, to be convicted, id. Caecin. 2, 4; cf.: nemo ita in manifesto peccatu tenebatur, ut, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 78, § 191: caedis teneri, Quint. 5, 14, 11: teneri repetundarum, Tac. A. 11, 7 fin.: furti, Dig. 6, 1, 4: injuriarum, ib. 47, 10, 11: mandati, ib. 17, 1, 10.—Transf.: nisi illi ipsi, qui eas (libidines) frangere deberent, cupiditatis ejusdem tenerentur, Cic. Leg. 3, 13, 31 Mos. and Orell. N. cr.—h. Of dispositions, desires, etc., to possess, occupy, control:
quae te tanta pravitas mentis tenuerit, ut, etc., has had possession of you, Cic. Vatin. 6, 14: summum me eorum (librorum) studium tenet, id. Att. 1, 11, 3: magna me spes tenet, id. Tusc. 1, 41, 97: de triumpho nulla me cupiditas umquam tenuit, id. Att. 7, 2, 6: si consilio pulso libidines iracundiaeve tenerent omnia, id. Rep. 1, 38, 60: nisi forte quem inhonesta et perniciosa libido tenet, Sall. J. 3, 4: neque irā neque gratiā teneri, to be controlled or influenced, Cic. N. D. 1, 17, 45; so, teneri desiderio, id. Sen. 10, 33: studio philosophiae, id. Ac. 1, 2, 4: magno amore, Verg. A. 1, 675: pompā, ludis atque ejusmodi spectaculis teneri, to be enchained, fascinated, Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 48; cf.: ut oculi picturā teneantur, aures cantibus, id. Ac. 2, 7, 20: is qui audit, ab oratore jam obsessus est ac tenetur, id. Or. 62, 210.—With ne, Ov. M. 7, 146. —k. To take in, comprise, comprehend, include:
haec magnos formula reges, Excepto sapiente, tenet, Hor. S. 2, 3, 46.—More freq. pass.: teneri aliquā re, to be contained, comprised, grounded, to consist in a thing: ut homines deorum agnatione et gente teneantur, Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 23: id quod (genus officiorum) teneatur hominum societate, id. Off. 1, 45, 160: quae (causae) familiaritate et consuetudine tenentur, id. Fam. 13, 29, 1: dixi jam antea, ipsam rationem arandi spe magis et jucunditate quadam quam fructu atque emolumento teneri, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 98, § 227.II. Neutr. (freq. after the Aug. per.; perh. not in Cic.).
A. Lit.
1. To hold a position anywhere, maintain one's self:
quā abscisae rupes erant, statio paucorum armatorum tenebat, Liv. 32, 5, 12: duo extra ordinem milia tenuere, id. 3, 62, 7: tenent Danai, quā deficit ignis, Verg. A. 2, 505.—2. For cursum tenere, to hold or take one's way, to sail, steer in any direction:
Aeneam ... ab Siciliā classe ad Laurentem agrum tenuisse, Liv. 1, 1, 4: Cassandream petentes, primo ad Mendin tenuere, Liv. 31, 45, 14: ad Mendaeum, id. 21, 49, 2: Diam, Ov. M. 3, 690: Creten, id. ib. 13, 706: Hesperiam, id. F. 1, 498: Ausoniam, id. ib. 4, 290 al.: medio tutissimus ibis ... Inter utrumque tene, Ov. M. 2, 140.—B. Trop., with the accessory idea of continuance (cf. I. A. 2. b. and B. 2. b. supra), to hold out, hold on, last, endure, continue, maintain itself, prevail, etc. (cf. obtineo):
imber per noctem totam tenuit, Liv. 23, 44, 6; cf.: incendium per duas noctes ac diem unum tenuit, id. 24, 47, 15: per aliquot dies ea consultatio tenuit, id. 2, 3, 5; 3, 47, 6: tenet fama, lupam, etc., id. 1, 4, 6: quod nunc quoque tenet nomen, id. 1, 17, 6: fama tenuit, haud plus fuisse modio, id. 23, 12, 2; 21, 46, 10: tenuit consuetudo, quae cottidie magis invalescit, ut, etc., Quint. 2, 1, 1 Spald.; so, consuetudo, ut, etc., id. 8, 5, 2: nomen illud tenet, id. 9, 4, 47 Spald.; cf. Ov. M. 1, 712.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
teneō tenuī, —, ēre
2 TA-, to hold, keep, have, grasp, hold fast : flabellulum, T.: facem, V. telum, L.: cruentum gladium: manu Fragmina, O.: Dextra tenet ferrum, O.: ore cibum, Ph.: Hanc teneo sinu, O.; cf. cum res non coniecturā, sed oculis ac manibus teneretur, i. e. was palpable . —Fig., to hold in mind, take in, understand, conceive, comprehend, know : rem tenes, you understand the situation , T.: teneo, I understand , T.: quae a Romanis auguribus ignorantur, a Cilicibus tenentur: quo pacto cuncta tenerem, H.—Implying possession or control, to hold, possess, be master of, control, occupy : multa hereditatibus tenebantur sine iniuriā: quae tenuit dives Achaemenes, H.: loca, L.: colles praesidiis, Cs.: terras, H.: alterum cornu, command , N.: provincias aliaque omnia, S.: rem p. opes paucorum tenere coeperunt, to control public affairs : ut res p. vi tribuniciā teneretur, should be mastered , cf. qui tenent (sc. rem p.), qui potiuntur, i. e. who are in supreme power : me Galatea tenebat, i. e. held my affections , V.: teneone te? i. e. are you restored to me? T.—Implying persistence, to hold fast, keep, occupy, watch, guard, defend, maintain, retain : legio locum non tenuit, Cs.: Capitolia celsa, V.: in manicis te sub custode, H.: Athenae tuae sempiternam in arce oleam tenere potuerunt.—Of a way or course, to hold, keep, maintain, follow up : secundissimo vento cursum, to hold one's course : vento intermisso cursum, Cs.: Quove tenetis iter? V.: tenuit tamen vestigia Bucar, L.: Aeneam . . . ab Siciliā classe ad Laurentem agrum tenuisse (sc. cursum), sailed , L.: medio tutissimus ibis . . . Inter utrumque tene, O.; cf. hic ventus adversum tenet Athenis proficiscentibus, blows the wrong way , N.—Fig., to hold fast, guard, preserve, uphold, keep, insist on : consuetudinem meam: non tenebat ornatum suum civitas: ius suum: haec duo in amicitiā, etc.: imperium in suos: silentium, L. — To hold fast, maintain, support, defend, uphold, insist : illud arcte tenent, voluptatem esse summum bonum: propositum, maintain , Cs.: suas leges: quo causae teste tenentur, H.: plebs tenuit, ne consules in proximum annum crearentur, L.: tenuere patres, ut Fabius consul crearetur, L.— Of the memory, to hold, keep : tui memoriam cum summā benevolentiā, preserve a recollection of : memoriā tenetis, res esse, etc., you remember numeros memini, si verba tenerem, recollect , V.: dicta tenere, H.—Of disposition or desire, to possess, occupy, control : quae te tanta pravitas mentis tenuerit, ut, etc., has had possession of you : magna me spes tenet: nisi forte quem perniciosa libido tenet, S.: neque irā neque gratiā teneri, to be controlled : pompā, ludis, to be fascinated : ab <*>ratore iam obsessus est ac tenetur.— To hold position, maintain oneself, stay, be posted : quā abscisae rupes erant, statio paucorum armatorum tenebat, L.: tenent Danai, quā deficit ignis, V.— To hold out, hold on, last, endure, continue, maintain itself, prevail : imber per noctem totam tenuit, L.: tenet fama, lupam, etc, L.: fama tenuit, haud plus fuisse modio, L.—Implying attainment, to reach, arrive at, attain, occupy : montes Sabini petebant et pauci tenuere, L.: portum, L.: Hesperiam, O.—Fig., to reach, gain, acquire, obtain, attain : per cursum rectum regnum tenere: virtute regnum, L.: teneri res aliter non potest: causam, O.—Implying restraint, to hold fast, hold back, hinder, restrain, detain, check, control, stay : naves, quae vento tenebantur, Cs.: classem ibi tenebat, L.: si id te non tenet, advola: Marcellum ab gerundis rebus: ne diutius teneam: tene linguam, O.: pecus omne tenendum, V.: manum, H.: quo me decet usque teneri? V.: lacrimas in morte miserā: exercitum in stativis, L.—With pron reflex., to keep back, remain, stay : castris sese, Cs.: castris se pavidus tenebat, L.: a conventu se remotum domi, N.: me ab accusando, refrain .— Fig., to hold, hold back, repress, restrain, bind, fetter : iracundiam: risum: iram, Cu.: ea, quae occurrunt, keep to themselves : Sed te, ne faceres, tenuit reverentia famae, O.—Implying constraint, to bind, hold, obligate, be binding on, control : quamquam leges eum non tenent: interdicto non teneri: ut plebi scita omnes Quirites tenerent, L.: teneri alienis foederibus, L.: poenā teneri, to be liable : testibus in re perspicuā teneri, to be convicted .— Implying comprehension, to take in, comprise, comprehend, include : haec magnos formula reges tenet. H.: ut homines deorum agnatione et gente teneantur: id quod (genus officiorum) teneatur hominum societate.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *tenēō, stative from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”). See also Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō), Persian تنیدن (tanidan, “to weave”), Sanskrit तनोति (tanóti) and Old English þennan.
Insular Romance
- Sardiniantènnere
- Sardiniantenni
- Sardiniantènniri
Gallo-Romance
- Occitanténerfrom Old Occitan tener
- Catalantenir
- Occitantenirfrom Old Occitan tenir
- Franco-Provençaltenir
- Old Frenchtenir
Balkano-Romance
- Romanianține
- Romanianținea
- Romanianцине
- Aromaniantsãn
- Aromaniantsãnu
- Aromaniantsen
- Istro-Romanianţir
- Istro-Romanianţire
- Megleno-Romaniantsǫn
Ibero-Romance
- Portugueseterfrom Old Galician-Portuguese tẽer
- Spanishtener
- Aragonesetener
- Asturiantener
- Mirandesetener
- Galicianterfrom Old Galician-Portuguese tẽer
Borrowings
- Englishtenon
- Englishtenet
Italo-Dalmatian
- Italiantenere
- Corsicantena
- Dalmatiantenar
- Neapolitantenere
- Siciliantèniri
- Venetantegner
- Venetantegnar
- Venetantenjirfrom Old Venetan tignir
Rhaeto-Romance
- Friuliantignî
- Romanshtgnair
Gallo-Italic
- Emiliantgnîr
- Lombardtegnì
- Old Liguriantegnir
- Piedmontesetnì