temper

tem·per

Use temper in a sentence

This little boy seems to have a temper.

noun

Temper is a state of mind, particularly one that is hostile or angry.
An example of temper is what someone loses when they gets excessively mad at even the simplest of problems.

verb

Temper is defined as to moderate or soften something or make it less intense.
An example of temper is to add white paint to a dark purple paint to make it a lighter color.

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"Temper." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Temper.

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Temper. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Temper

temper

to make suitable, desirable, or free from excess by mingling with something else; reduce in intensity, esp. by the admixture of some other quality; moderate; assuage; mollify: to temper criticism with reason
1. to bring to the proper texture, consistency, hardness, etc. by mixing with something or treating in some way: to temper paints with oil, to temper steel by heating and sudden cooling, to temper clay by moistening and kneading
2. to toughen, as by rigors or trying experiences
Rare to fit; adapt
Archaic to mix in proper proportions
Music to adjust the pitch of (a note) or tune (an instrument) according to some temperament

Origin of temper

Middle English tempren from Old English temprian and Old French temprer, both from Classical Latin temperare, to observe proper measure, mix, regulate, forbear from tempus (gen. temporis), time, period, origin, originally , a span from Indo-European an unverified form tempos, a span from an unverified form temp-, to pull from base an unverified form ten-, to stretch from source thin

to be or become tempered

the state of being tempered; specif.,
1. Archaic a properly proportioned mixture
2. the state of a metal with regard to the degree of hardness and resilience
frame of mind; disposition; mood: in a bad temper
calmness of mind; composure: now only in the phrases lose one's temper and keep one's temper
a tendency to become angry readily: to have a temper
anger; rage: to go into a temper
something used to temper a mixture, etc.
the trend in thought and feeling (of an era, period, etc.); character: the temper of the times, the modern temper
Archaic a middle course; mean
Obs. character; quality

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MLA Style

"Temper." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Temper.

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Temper. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Temper

temper

verb

tem·pered, tem·per·ing, tem·pers

verb

transitive

To modify by the addition of a moderating element; moderate: “temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom” ( Robert H. Jackson ) See Synonyms at moderate.
To bring to a desired consistency, texture, hardness, or other physical condition by blending, admixing, or kneading: temper clay; paints that had been tempered with oil.
To harden or strengthen (metal or glass) by application of heat or by heating and cooling.
To strengthen through experience or hardship; toughen: soldiers who had been tempered by combat.
Music To adjust (the pitch of an instrument) to a temperament.

verb

intransitive

To be or become tempered.

noun

A state of mind or emotion; disposition: an even temper.
Calmness of mind or emotions; composure: lose one's temper.
a. A tendency to become easily angry or irritable: a quick temper.
b. Anger; rage: a fit of temper.
A characteristic general quality; tone: heroes who exemplified the medieval temper; the politicized temper of the 1930s.
a. The condition of being tempered.
b. The degree of hardness and elasticity of a metal, chiefly steel, achieved by tempering.
A modifying substance or agent added to something else.
Archaic A middle course between extremes; a mean.

Origin of temper

Middle English temperen from Old English temprian from Latin temperāre probably from variant of tempus tempor- time, season

Related Forms:

tem′per·a·bil′i·ty
noun

tem′per·a·ble
adjective

tem′per·er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"Temper." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Temper.

APA Style

Temper. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Temper

Noun

(plural tempers)

A tendency to be of a certain type of mood.
to have a good, bad, calm, or hasty temper
He has quite a (bad) temper when dealing with salespeople.
State of mind.
The state of any compound substance which results from the mixture of various ingredients; due mixture of different qualities.
the temper of mortar
The heat treatment to which a metal or other material has been subjected; a material that has undergone a particular heat treatment.
Calmness of mind; moderation; equanimity; composure.
to keep one's temper
The state of a metal or other substance, especially as to its hardness, produced by some process of heating or cooling.
the temper of iron or steel
Middle state or course; mean; medium.
(sugar manufacture, historical) Milk of lime, or other substance, employed in the process formerly used to clarify sugar.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present tempers, present participle tempering, simple past and past participle tempered)

To moderate or control.
Temper your language around children.
To strengthen or toughen a material, especially metal, by heat treatment.
Tempering is a heat treatment technique applied to metals, alloys, and glass to achieve greater toughness by increasing the strength of materials and/or ductility. Tempering is performed by a controlled reheating of the work piece to a temperature below its lower eutectic critical temperature.
To mix clay, plaster or mortar with water to obtain the proper consistency.
(music) To adjust, as the mathematical scale to the actual scale, or to that in actual use.
(archaic) To combine in due proportions; to constitute; to compose.
(archaic) To mingle in due proportion; to prepare by combining; to modify, as by adding some new element; to qualify, as by an ingredient; hence, to soften; to mollify; to assuage.

Origin

From Middle English temperen, from Old English *temprian, from Latin temperare (“to divide or proportion duly, mingle in due proportion, qualify, temper, regulate, rule, intransitive observe measure, be moderate or temperate"), from tempus (“time, fit season"); see temporal.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"Temper." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Temper.

APA Style

Temper. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Temper

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