-tena-

a. [ F. tenable, fr. tenir to hold, L. tenere. See Thin, and cf. Continue, Continent, Entertain, Maintain, Tenant, Tent. ] Capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against an assailant or objector, or against attempts to take or process; as, a tenable fortress, a tenable argument. [ 1913 Webster ]

If you have hitherto concealed his sight,
Let it be tenable in your silence still. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I would be the last man in the world to give up his cause when it was tenable. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Tenability. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. tenace tenacious, demeurer tenace to hold the best and third best cards and take both tricks, the 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Apt to retain; retentive; as, a tenacious memory. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Apt to adhere to another substance; glutinous; viscous; sticking; adhesive. “Female feet, too weak to struggle with tenacious clay.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Niggardly; closefisted; miserly. Ainsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Holding stoutly to one's opinion or purpose; obstinate; stubborn. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Te*na"cious*ly, adv. -- Te*na"cious*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That quality of bodies which makes them adhere to other bodies; adhesiveness; viscosity. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. tenacia obstinacy. See Tenacious. ] Tenaciousness; obstinacy. [ Obs. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]