- (v.t.) To govern; to manage.
- (v.t.) To mingle in due proportion; to prepare by combining; to modify, as by adding some new element; to qualify, as by an ingredient; hence, to soften; to mollify; to assuage; to soothe; to calm.
- (v.t.) To moisten to a proper consistency and stir thoroughly, as clay for making brick, loam for molding, etc.
- (n.) Disposition of mind; the constitution of the mind, particularly with regard to the passions and affections; as, a calm temper; a hasty temper; a fretful temper.
- (n.) The state of a metal or other substance, especially as to its hardness, produced by some process of heating or cooling; as, the temper of iron or steel.
- (v.t.) To adjust, as the mathematical scale to the actual scale or to that in actual use.
- (n.) Constitution of body; temperament; in old writers, the mixture or relative proportion of the four humors, blood, choler, phlegm, and melancholy.
- (n.) Middle state or course; mean; medium.
- (v.t.) To bring to a proper degree of hardness; as, to temper iron or steel.
- (n.) Calmness of mind; moderation; equanimity; composure; as, to keep one's temper.
- (v.t.) To fit together; to adjust; to accomodate.
- (v.i.) To have or get a proper or desired state or quality; to grow soft and pliable.
- (v.i.) To accord; to agree; to act and think in conformity.
- (n.) Milk of lime or other substance, employed in the process formerly used to clarify sugar.
- (n.) The state of any compound substance which results from the mixture of various ingredients; due mixture of different qualities; just combination; as, the temper of mortar.
- (n.) Heat of mind or passion; irritation; proneness to anger; -- in a reproachful sense.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). temper. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/temper/definitions/2071009 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "temper" http://smartdefine.org/temper/definitions/2071009 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, temper, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/temper/definitions/2071009>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "temper" 28 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/temper/definitions/2071009> |