First published 1911; not yet revised

tenebrousadjective (& noun)

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency
Compounds & derived words

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Factsheet

What does the adjective tenebrous mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective tenebrous, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the adjective tenebrous?

About 0.04occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750	0.0047
1760	0.032
1770	0.03
1780	0.027
1790	0.027
1800	0.027
1810	0.029
1820	0.03
1830	0.013
1840	0.013
1850	0.014
1860	0.018
1870	0.022
1880	0.024
1890	0.03
1900	0.034
1910	0.037
1920	0.04
1930	0.042
1940	0.043
1950	0.042
1960	0.039
1970	0.037
1980	0.037
1990	0.036
2000	0.036
2010	0.035

See frequency

How is the adjective tenebrous pronounced?

British English

/ˈtɛnɪbrəs/

See pronunciation

Where does the adjective tenebrous come from?

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the adjective tenebrous is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for tenebrous is from around 1420, in the writing of John Lydgate, poet and prior of Hatfield Regis.

tenebrous is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French tenebrus, ténébreux.

See etymology

Nearby entries

tenebrionid, n.1921–
tenebrious, adj.1594–
tenebriously, adv.1861–
tenebrism, n.1959–
tenebrist, n.1923–
tenebrity, n.1789–
tenebrize, v.a1657
tenebrose, adj.1490–
tenebrosity, n.1490–
tenebroso, n. & adj.1886–
tenebrous, adj.c1420–
tenebrousness, n.1727–
tenedish, n.1688
ten-eighty, n.1945–
tenel | teneling, n.
tenellous, adj.1651
tenement, n.a1325–
tenemental, adj.1766–
tenementary, adj.a1641–
tenemented, adj.1883–
tenementer, n.1574–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Frequency

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Compounds & derived words

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Entry history for tenebrous, adj.

tenebrous, adj. was first published in 1911; not yet revised.

tenebrous, adj. was last modified in December 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into tenebrous, adj. in December 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1911)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View tenebrous, a. (n.) in OED Second Edition

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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for tenebrous, adj.

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Nearby entries

tenebrionid, n.1921–
tenebrious, adj.1594–
tenebriously, adv.1861–
tenebrism, n.1959–
tenebrist, n.1923–
tenebrity, n.1789–
tenebrize, v.a1657
tenebrose, adj.1490–
tenebrosity, n.1490–
tenebroso, n. & adj.1886–
tenebrous, adj.c1420–
tenebrousness, n.1727–
tenedish, n.1688
ten-eighty, n.1945–
tenel | teneling, n.
tenellous, adj.1651
tenement, n.a1325–
tenemental, adj.1766–
tenementary, adj.a1641–
tenemented, adj.1883–
tenementer, n.1574–

Browse more nearby entries