tent

1 of 3

noun

1
: a collapsible shelter of fabric (such as nylon or canvas) stretched and sustained by poles and used for camping outdoors or as a temporary building
2
3
a
: something that resembles a tent or that serves as a shelter
especially : a canopy or enclosure placed over the head and shoulders to retain vapors or oxygen being medically administered
b
: the web of a tent caterpillar
tentless adjective
tentlike adjective

tent

2 of 3

verb (1)

tented; tenting; tents

intransitive verb

1
: to reside for the time being : lodge
2
: to live in a tent

transitive verb

1
: to cover with or as if with a tent
2
: to lodge in tents

tent

3 of 3

verb (2)

tented; tenting; tents

transitive verb

chiefly Scotland
: to attend to

Examples of tent in a Sentence

Noun a huge tent was erected for the outdoor wedding reception
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
On homelessness, Farrell pledged to clear all large tent encampments within his first year in office, with a focus on funneling more people into short-term shelters rather than rely on more permanent supportive housing, which takes years and millions of dollars to build. Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 Hundreds of thousands live in tent camps and schools-turned-shelters, most run by UNRWA. Joseph Krauss, Julia Frankel, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
According to Zambrano and Sarah Brekke, M.S., Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen brand manager, the benefits of tenting a turkey with foil include: Moisture retention: Foil helps trap steam, preventing the turkey—especially the breast meat—from drying out. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2024 Regarding the latter, the studio took over the entire Music Center plaza, elaborately tented it, and threw a party that easily rivaled, if not exceeded, what HBO used to do at Pacific Design Center. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tent 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tent, tente "collapsible shelter of animal skins or fabric used by nomads, shelter, dwelling," borrowed from Anglo-French tente, going back to Vulgar Latin *tenta, noun derivative from feminine of Latin tentus, tensus, past participle of tendere "to extend outward, stretch" (or from Vulgar Latin *tendita, re-formation of the participle) — more at tender entry 3

Verb (1)

derivative of tent entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English tenten "to look after, see to, watch over," noun derivative of tent, tente "intention, purpose, heed," short for entente, intente intent entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

circa 1608, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tent was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tent

Cite this Entry

“Tent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tent. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tent

1 of 2 noun
1
: a portable shelter (as of nylon) stretched and supported by poles
2
a
: something that resembles a tent or that serves as a shelter
especially : an enclosure placed over the head and shoulders to hold in oxygen or vapors given for medical reasons
an oxygen tent
b
: the web of a tent caterpillar

tent

2 of 2 verb
1
: to live in a tent
2
: to cover with or as if with a tent

Medical Definition

tent

noun
: a canopy or enclosure placed over the head and shoulders to retain vapors or oxygen during medical administration

More from Merriam-Webster on tent

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