teneō

From Proto-Italic *tenēō, stative from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”). See also Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō), Persian تنیدن (tanidan, “to weave”), Sanskrit तनोति (tanóti) and Old English þennan.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.ne.oː/, [ˈt̪ɛneoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.ne.o/, [ˈt̪ɛːneo]

Verb

teneō (present infinitive tenēre, perfect active tenuī, supine tentum); second conjugation

1. to hold, have; to grasp
2. to possess, occupy, control
3. to watch, guard, maintain, defend; to retain, keep
4. to reach, attain; to gain, acquire, obtain
5. to hold fast or back, restrain, detain, check, confine, control; to bind, fetter [ quotations ▼]
6. (reflexive) to keep back, remain, stay, hold position
7. to know, grasp, understand, conceive
8. to recollect, retain knowledge of, remember, bear in mind
9. to insist, uphold
10. (of laws) to be binding on; to bind, hold, obligate
11. to arrive at a place, reach
12. to set, fix, hold on a fixed position
13. to hold in prison
14. to comprise, contain, include, hold
15. to hold someone's interest, to be interesting (to someone)

    Hic liber me tenet.

1. This book interests me; I find this book interesting.

1. to embrace, hug
2. to hold on, last