n., pl., -pos, or -pi (-pē).
- Music. The speed at which music is or ought to be played, often indicated on written compositions by a descriptive or metronomic direction to the performer.
- A characteristic rate or rhythm of activity; a pace: "the tempo and the feeling of modern life" (Robert L. Heilbroner).
[Italian, from Latin tempus, time.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
