tent

UK: /ˈtɛnt/ US: /tɛnt/ ,(tent)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

tent¹ /tɛnt/   n. [countable]

1. a movable shelter of cloth, etc., held up by poles and held down by stakes in the ground.

v. 

2. to (cause to) live or stay in a tent: [no object]
   to tent in the parks of Ontario.
   [~ + object]
   to tent the homeless victims of the hurricane.

See -tend-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

tent¹ (tent),  n. 

1. a portable shelter of skins, canvas, plastic, or the like, supported by one or more poles or a frame and often secured by ropes fastened to pegs in the ground.
2. something that resembles a tent.
3. tent dress.

v.t. 

4. to lodge in tents.
5. to cover with or as if with a tent:
   In winter the tennis courts are tented inplastic.

v.i. 

6. to live in a tent;
   encamp.

• Latin tenta, feminine of tentus past participle of tendere to extend, stretch; compare tentōrium tent
• Old French
• Middle English tente 1250–1300

tent′less, adj. 
tent′like′, adj. 

tent²  (tent), v.t. [Chiefly Scot.]

1. Scottish Terms to give or pay attention to;
   heed.

• Latin attenta, feminine of attentus, past participle of attendere to attend
• Old French atente attention, intention
• Middle English, derivative of tent (noun, nominal) attention, aphetic variant of attent 1250–1300

tent³ (tent), [Surg.]
n. 

1. Surgery a probe.
2. Surgery a roll or pledget, usually of soft absorbent material, as lint or gauze, for dilating an orifice, keeping a wound open, etc.

v.t. 

3. Surgery to keep (a wound) open with a tent.

• Latin tentāre, variant of temptāre to probe, test. See tempt
• Middle French, noun, nominal derivative of tenter
• Middle English tente a probe 1325–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tent / tɛnt/ noun

1. a portable shelter of canvas, plastic, or other waterproof material supported on poles and fastened to the ground by pegs and ropes
2. something resembling this in function or shape

verb

1. (intransitive) to camp in a tent
2. (transitive) to cover with or as if with a tent or tents
3. (transitive) to provide with a tent as shelter

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French tente, from Latin tentōrium something stretched out, from tendere to stretch

ˈtented adjective