tempo

[tem-poh]

noun

plural

tempos, tempi 

1. Music.,  relative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.

2. characteristic rate, rhythm, or pattern of work or activity.

   the tempo of city life.

3. Chess.,  the gaining or losing of time and effectiveness relative to one's continued mobility or developing position, especially with respect to the number of moves required to gain an objective.

   Black gained a tempo.

tempo

/ ˈtɛmpəʊ /

noun

1. the speed at which a piece or passage of music is meant to be played, usually indicated by a musical direction ( tempo marking ) or metronome marking

2. rate or pace

tempo

1. In music, the speed at which a piece is performed. It is the Italian word for “time.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tempo¹

1680–90; < Italian < Latin tempus time

Word History and Origins

Origin of tempo¹

C18: from Italian, from Latin tempus time

Example Sentences

Where previously they have struggled to find the tempo, most alarming here was the inability to halt their slide.

From BBC

He has great feet and his passing is a really big weapon for any team to put some tempo into their play.

From BBC

Dean Huijsen, signed from Bournemouth, has become the central figure in building from the back, with his range of passing crucial to maintaining tempo.

From BBC

If you listen to some of our songs, like “Surfin’ Safari,” “Catch a Wave” and “Hawaii,” there’s a lot of tempo there.

From Los Angeles Times

With its fuzzy textures and unruly tempos, “Bones” arrives as rock seems to be resurging after years of domination by rappers and pop stars.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cadence 
• momentum 
• pace 
• velocity