Tenableness
(Ten`a*ble*ness), n. Same as Tenability.
Tenace
(Ten"ace) n. [F. tenace tenacious, demeurer tenace to hold the best and third best cards and
take both tricks, and adversary having to lead. See Tenacious.] (Whist) The holding by the fourth
hand of the best and third best cards of a suit led; also, sometimes, the combination of best with third
best card of a suit in any hand.
Tenacious
(Te*na"cious) a. [L. tenax, - acis, from tenere to hold. See Tenable, and cf. Tenace.]
1. Holding fast, or inclined to hold fast; inclined to retain what is in possession; as, men tenacious of
their just rights.
2. Apt to retain; retentive; as, a tenacious memory.
3. Having parts apt to adhere to each other; cohesive; tough; as, steel is a tenacious metal; tar is more
tenacious than oil. Sir I. Newton.
4. Apt to adhere to another substance; glutinous; viscous; sticking; adhesive. "Female feet, too weak to
struggle with tenacious clay." Cowper.
5. Niggardly; closefisted; miserly. Ainsworth.
6. Holding stoutly to one's opinion or purpose; obstinate; stubborn.
— Te*na"cious*ly, adv. — Te*na"cious*ness, n.
Tenacity
(Te*nac"i*ty) n. [L. tenacitas: cf. F. ténacité. See Tenacious.]
1. The quality or state of being tenacious; as, tenacity, or retentiveness, of memory; tenacity, or persistency,
of purpose.
2. That quality of bodies which keeps them from parting without considerable force; cohesiveness; the
effect of attraction; — as distinguished from brittleness, fragility, mobility, etc.
3. That quality of bodies which makes them adhere to other bodies; adhesiveness; viscosity. Holland.
4. (Physics) The greatest longitudinal stress a substance can bear without tearing asunder, — usually
expressed with reference to a unit area of the cross section of the substance, as the number of pounds
per square inch, or kilograms per square centimeter, necessary to produce rupture.
Tenaculum
(||Te*nac"u*lum) n.; pl. L. Tenacula (#); E. Tenaculums [L., a holder, fr. tenere to hold.
Cf. Tenaille.] (Surg.) An instrument consisting of a fine, sharp hook attached to a handle, and used
mainly for taking up arteries, and the like.
Tenacy
(Ten"a*cy) n. [L. tenacia obstinacy. See Tenacious.] Tenaciousness; obstinacy. [Obs.] Barrow.
Tenaille
(Te*naille") n. [F., a pair of pincers or tongs, a tenaille, fr. L. tenaculum. See Tenaculum.]
(Fort.) An outwork in the main ditch, in front of the curtain, between two bastions. See Illust. of Ravelin.
Tenaillon
(Te*nail"lon) n. [F. See Tenaille.] (Fort.) A work constructed on each side of the ravelins,
to increase their strength, procure additional ground beyond the ditch, or cover the shoulders of the
bastions.
Tenancy
(Ten"an*cy) n.; pl. Tenacies [Cf. OF. tenace, LL. tenentia. See Tenant.] (Law) (a) A
holding, or a mode of holding, an estate; tenure; the temporary possession of what belongs to another.
(b) (O. Eng. Law) A house for habitation, or place to live in, held of another. Blount. Blackstone. Wharton.
