- (in musical senses) the plural of tempo
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
tem•po /ˈtɛmpoʊ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -pos, -pi /-pi/USA pronunciation .
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Music and Dancethe rate of speed of a musical passage or work.
- any normal rate or rhythm:the fast tempo of city life.
tem•pi
(tem′pē),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Music and Dancea pl. of tempo.
tem•po
(tem′pō),USA pronunciation n., pl. -pos, -pi (-pē).USA pronunciation
- Music and Dancerelative rapidity or rate of movement, usually indicated by such terms as adagio, allegro, etc., or by reference to the metronome.
- characteristic rate, rhythm, or pattern of work or activity:the tempo of city life.
- Chessthe gaining or losing of time and effectiveness relative to one's continued mobility or developing position, esp. with respect to the number of moves required to gain an objective:Black gained a tempo.
- Latin tempus time
- Italian
- 1680–90
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
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 rate or pace