tent
pronunciation
How to pronounce tent in British English:
UK [tent]
How to pronounce tent in American English:
US [tent]
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- Noun:
- a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
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- Verb:
- live in or as if in a tent
Word Origin
- tent
- tent: [13] A tent is etymologically something that is ‘stretched’ – over a frame to provide shelter. The word comes via Old French tente from Vulgar Latin *tenta, a noun derived from the past participial stem of Latin tendere ‘stretch’ (source of English tend, tendency, etc). It was supposedly inspired by the expression pelles tendere, literally ‘stretch skins’, that is, ‘stretch animal hides over a framework to make a tent’, which was used metaphorically for ‘set up a camp’.=> tend
- tent (n.)
- c. 1300, "portable shelter of skins or coarse cloth stretched over poles," from Old French tente "tent, hanging, tapestry" (12c.), from Medieval Latin tenta "a tent," literally "something stretched out," noun use of fem. singular of Latin tentus "stretched," variant past participle of tendere "to stretch" (see tenet). The notion is of "stretching" hides over a framework. Tent caterpillar first recorded 1854, so called from the tent-like silken webs in which they live gregariously.
- tent (v.)
- "to camp in a tent," 1856, from tent (n.). Earlier "to pitch a tent" (1550s). Related: Tented; tenting.
Example
- 1. Tent cities are not a new american phenomenon .
- 2. As we were transported to a tent camp , I met my brother bill .
- 3. Moses placed the staffs before the lord in the tent of the testimony .
- 4. But other tent cities remain .
- 5. He was outside in his trademark tent .