tent

noun \ ˈtent \

|Updated on: 7 Jul 2018

Definition of tent

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 : dwelling

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

play \ˈtent-ləs\ adjective

—

tentlike

play \ˈtent-ˌlīk\ adjective

See tent defined for English-language learners

See tent defined for kids

Examples of tent in a Sentence

a huge tent was erected for the outdoor wedding reception

Recent Examples of tent from the Web

Civilians reached by phone along the Israeli and Jordanian borders Tuesday shared photographs of a sea of makeshift tents.

— louisa loveluck, The Seattle Times, "Syrian rebels in surrender talks for southwest as civilians flee toward closed borders," 3 July 2018
My specific concerns: The weight of a tent is largely a function of its fabrics.

— andrew skurka, Outside Online, "Review: Big Agnes Tiger Wall Tents," 28 June 2018
On the edge of the town's rugged mountains, refugee settlements seen from a distance were made up of tents.

— bassem mroue, Fox News, "Hundreds of Syrian refugees in Lebanon cross back into Syria," 28 June 2018
America’s newest facility for migrant children, by contrast, is a tent city in Tornillo, Texas, where temperatures can exceed 40°c (104°f).

— The Economist, "America’s immigration system is broken," 28 June 2018
More than 2,000 children were separated from their parents between April and June, and the Trump administration has considered erecting tent cities to house the unaccompanied migrant children.

— allison kite, kansascity, "Palin, ‘very angry’ with parents crossing the border, blames them for separations," 28 June 2018
Together, the three have 674 beds, and two of the tents are in downtown San Diego.

— gary warth, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Data shows homeless on the move in San Diego," 25 June 2018
This April, there were dozens of tents dotting the blocks around Isis Street.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "“There is a suitcase full of human s— on the corner of Isis and 13th,” the email read. “Last night, I had to threaten violence to a man smoking crystal meth on my front porch. This morning, my 2-year-old son and I watched a rat rummage through the trash in our gutter.," 25 June 2018
Private contractors, some of them ex-military, have received millions in federal contracts for detention centers and tent cities.

— recode staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: Inside the billion dollar business of housing migrant children," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tent

Middle English tente, from Anglo-French, from Latin tenta, feminine of tentus, past participle of tendere to stretch — more at thin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

tent Synonyms

Synonyms

awning, canopy, ceiling, cover, roof;

Related Words

dome, marquee, pavilion;

arbor, bower, pergola;

screen, shade, shelter, shield, sunshade, umbrella;

canvas (also canvass), fly;

tent

verb

Definition of tent

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

Recent Examples of tent from the Web

Leave a Note Shinde is one of Botswana’s iconic luxury tented camps, refurbished in 2015 and located on the edge of the permanent waters of the Okavango Delta.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Shinde Enclave," 25 Aug. 2017
A rival group, the Worker’s Ex-Servicemen League, Communist vets at odds with Waters’s group, tented at 14th and D streets in Southwest Washington.

— terence mcardle, Washington Post, "The veterans were desperate. Gen. MacArthur ordered U.S. troops to attack them.," 28 July 2017
Sherwood’s home has been tented so that sulfuryl fluoride, a poisonous, odorless gas, can be sprayed inside.

— bill hanna, star-telegram, "Exterminating rare termites in Fort Worth home takes extreme measures," 27 June 2017
Outside, two tented stages will provide three days of musical performances.

— melinda morris, NOLA.com, "Satchmo SummerFest announces lineup and a dance room with A/C," 27 June 2017
The design is suspended 30 feet above ground and features tented structures atop a mesh platform.

— elizabeth stamp, CNN, "The architects throwing out the rulebook on hotel design," 15 June 2017
One morning this week, Markowski watched workers hoeing the rich soil between rows of tobacco beneath acres of tenting on his family's West Suffield farm.

— gregory b. hladky, courant.com, "Foreign Competition, Labor Costs Push Connecticut Shade Tobacco Farmers To The Edge," 15 June 2017
Like Top Gear, the car segments are filmed around the world, along with the addition of audience segments, thanks to the show's mobile tented studio.

— jayme deerwester, USA TODAY, "'Grand Tour' host Richard Hammond escapes fiery crash in Switzerland," 10 June 2017
The 37,000-acre spread will open its sixth tented camp, North Bank Camp, on the Blackfoot River this month.

— compiled by elaine glusac, star-telegram.com, "Where to travel now if you’re yearning to explore the great outdoors," 7 June 2017

First Known Use of tent

circa 1608

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

tent

verb

Definition of tent

tented; tenting; tents

transitive verb

chiefly Scotland

: to attend to

Origin and Etymology of tent

Middle English, from tent attention, short for attent, from Anglo-French atente, from atendre to attend

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

TENT Defined for English Language Learners

tent

noun

Definition of tent for English Language Learners

: a portable shelter that is used outdoors, is made of cloth (such as canvas or nylon), and is held up with poles and ropes

TENT Defined for Kids

tent

noun \ ˈtent \

Definition of tent for Students

: a portable shelter (as of canvas) stretched and supported by poles

Word Root of tent

The Latin word tendere, meaning to “stretch” or “to spread,” and its form tentus give us the roots tend, tent, and tens. Words from the Latin tendere have something to do with stretching or spreading. A tent is a temporary shelter made from stretched out fabric. To distend is to stretch outward and swell in all directions. To extend is to stretch out. A tendon is a cord that connects a muscle to another muscle or to a bone and that stretches allowing a joint to bend. Something tense is stretched tight.