tenuis

1 of 2

noun (1)

ten·​u·​is ˈten-yə-wəs 

plural tenues ˈten-yə-ˌwēz 

-ˌwās

: an unaspirated voiceless stop

tenue

2 of 2

noun (2)

te·​nue

tənᵫ̅

plural tenues " 

1

: bearing, carriage, deportment

the sacrifices made in the sacred name of tenue … the smiles amiably exchanged in public between mortal enemies

—Victoria Sackville-West

2

: mode of dress

the long black coat with the lavender trousers and mauve vest that must have been his tenue when he married his first wife

—Young's Magazine

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from Medieval Latin (as translation of Greek psīlós "bare, plain," applied to the consonants π, τ, κ), going back to Latin, "thin, narrow, slight" — more at thin entry 1

Noun (2)

French, from feminine of tenu, past participle of tenir to hold, from Old French

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1650, in the meaning defined above