Oxford Dictionary English

    tempo

    noun
    noun
    BrE BrE//ˈtempəʊ//
    ; NAmE NAmE//ˈtempoʊ//
    (pl. tempos) Reading music
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  1. 1[countable, uncountable] (tempi
    BrE BrE//ˈtempiː//
    ; NAmE NAmE//ˈtempiː//
    )     the speed or rhythm of a piece of music a slow/fast tempo It's a difficult piece, with numerous changes of tempo. Wordfindersingbeat, harmony, melody, music, note, rhythm, sing, tempo, tone, vocal Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebrisk, fast, quick, … verb + tempochange tempo + nounindication, markings, change, … prepositionat a… tempo See full entry See related entries: Reading music
  2. 2[countable, uncountable] the speed of any movement or activity synonym pace1 the increasing tempo of life in Western society Don’t let the other team dictate the tempo of the game. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verb + tempoincrease, raise, step up, … tempo + verbquicken, slow, change, … prepositiontempo of See full entry
    3.  Word Originmid 17th cent. (as a fencing term denoting the timing of an attack): from Italian, from Latin tempus ‘time’.Extra examples They soon adapted to the tempo of life on the island. They took the last movement at an unusually slow tempo. United stepped up the tempo in the second half. We need to step up the tempo of our information campaigns. the tempo of the game It’s a difficult piece, with numerous changes of tempo. The game’s tempo reached fever pitch. The piece should be played at a fast tempo. What people liked about these films was their wit and tempo.
See tempo in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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