temper meaning and definition

TEMPER noun

Definition of temper (noun)

1. a sudden outburst of anger
   • "his temper sparked like damp firewood"
   • synonyms: irritation, pique
2. a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
   • "whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time"; "he was in a bad humor"
   • synonyms: humor, humour, mood
3. a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
   • "his temper was well known to all his employees"
   • synonyms: biliousness, irritability, peevishness, pettishness, snappishness, surliness
4. the elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking
   • synonyms: toughness

TEMPER verb

Definition of temper (verb)

1. bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling
   • "temper glass"
   • synonyms: anneal, normalize
2. harden by reheating and cooling in oil
   • "temper steel"
   • synonyms: harden
3. adjust the pitch (of pianos)
4. make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate
   • "she tempered her criticism"
   • synonyms: mollify, season
5. restrain
   • synonyms: chasten, moderate