SKIP TO CONTENT

tent

/tɛnt/
/tɛnt/
IPA guide

Other forms: tents; tented; tenting

A tent is a temporary shelter made out of heavy material such as canvas. When you go camping, you might sleep in a camper, a rustic cabin, or a tent.

Tents can be lightweight enough to be carried by a hiker for miles, or much heavier and more cumbersome. As a verb, tent means either "stay in a tent" or "cover, as you do with a tent." So you might tent your head with a blanket to keep your crazy cat from attacking you, or tent a pie with aluminum foil to keep the crust from burning. Tent comes from a Latin root, tentus, meaning "stretched."

Definitions of tent
  1. noun
    a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
    “he pitched his tent near the creek”
    see moresee less
    types:
    backpacking tent, pack tent
    a tent that can be carried in a backpack
    bell tent
    a bell-shaped tent
    cabana
    a small tent used as a dressing room beside the sea or a swimming pool
    canvas, canvas tent
    a tent made of canvas fabric
    cottage tent
    a tent providing shelter for a family
    fly tent
    a tent with a fly front
    lean-to tent
    tent that is attached to the side of a building
    mountain tent
    a lightweight tent with a floor; flaps close with a zipper
    marquee, pavilion
    large and often sumptuous tent
    pop tent
    a small tent that is easy to carry and quick to set up
    praetorium, pretorium
    the tent of an ancient Roman general
    pup tent, shelter tent
    a wedge-shaped tent; usually without a floor or windows
    pyramidal tent
    a large tent shaped like a pyramid; can hold half a dozen people
    teepee, tepee, tipi
    a Native American tent; usually of conical shape
    sealskin tent, tupek, tupik
    tent that is an Eskimo summer dwelling
    two-man tent
    a tent designed for occupancy by two persons
    umbrella tent
    a small tent with a single supporting pole and radiating metal ribs
    big top, circus tent, round top, top
    a canvas tent to house the audience at a circus performance
    field tent
    a canvas tent for use in the field
    Sibley tent
    a light conical canvas tent erected on a tripod with ventilation at the top
    wall tent
    a canvas tent with four vertical walls
    type of:
    shelter
    a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
  2. noun
    a web that resembles a tent or carpet
    see moresee less
    type of:
    web
    an intricate network suggesting something that was formed by weaving or interweaving
  3. verb
    live in or as if in a tent
    “The circus tented near the town”
    synonyms: bivouac, camp, camp out, encamp
    see moresee less
    type of:
    dwell, inhabit, live, populate
    inhabit or live in; be an inhabitant of
Pronunciation
US
/tɛnt/
UK
/tɛnt/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘tent'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family