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5,162 words — headwords with part of speech, pronunciation, and a plain-language definition.

tenir la dragée haute: to confront resolutely
tenir la jambe: to buttonhole, to detain, to keep talking to (someone) so that they cannot leave
tenir la route: to hold the road; to hold water, to be valid, to make sense
tenir le bon bout: to be on the right track, to be about to succeed
tenir le coup: to withstand the weather; to hang tough, to tough it out; to stick it out, to weather the storm
tenir le crachoir: to hold the floor, to talk a mile a minute (to talk nonstop without letting others get a word in edgewise)
tenir le haut du pavé: to be on top, to occupy the highest social rank, to be at the top of the ladder; to set the pace, to lead the way
tenir le loup par les oreilles: to have the wolf by the ear (to be in a dangerous situation from which one cannot disengage, but in which one cannot safely remain)
tenir le pot droit: to hold the fort; to keep house; to keep one's house in order
tenir le rythme: to keep up, to keep pace
tenir les cordons de la bourse: to hold the purse strings (to be in control of spending)
tenir les rênes: to hold the reins
tenir lieu: to serve as, to substitute for, to take the place of
tenir parole: to keep one's word, to deliver the goods
tenir pour acquis: to take for granted
tenir promesse: to keep one's promise
tenir quitte: to absolve someone of something, to let someone off something, to spare someone something
tenir rigueur: to blame, to hold (something) against (someone), to hold a grudge against
tenir sa langue: to hold one's tongue, to keep quiet
tenir salon: to receive guests, to entertain guests
tenir son rang: to hold one's own (to demonstrate oneself to be capable; to provide a respectable performance or worthy competition)
tenir sur ses jambes: to be able to stand; to be on one's feet
tenir table ouverte: to keep open house (to be ready to welcome guests - even unannounced - at any time)
tenir tête: to stand up, to express objection
tenir à: to be attached to; to be joined to (literally, physically); to be attached to (figuratively, emotionally), to like, to be fond of; to wish, to want, would like; to insist on; to derive from; to be born of; to be the result of (of abstracts)
tenir à cœur: to be important to, to matter to, to be dear/close to (someone's) heart
tenir à l'œil: to keep an eye on, to keep tabs on
tenir à quelque chose comme à la prunelle de ses yeux: to hold something very dear, to hold something close to one's heart
tennis: tennis; sneaker
tennis de table: table tennis
tennisman: a male tennis player
tennisseur: tennis player
tennistique: Relating to tennis
tennistiquement: In terms of tennis
tenniswoman: a female tennis player
tenon: tenon
tenrec: tenrec
tenseur: tensor (all senses)
tensif: tensive
tensio-actif: tensioactive
tensioactif: surfactant
tensioactif: surface-active
tensioactivité: tensioactivity
tensiomètre: tensiometer; sphygmomanometer
tensiométrie: tensiometry
tension: tension; blood pressure; voltage
tension artérielle: blood pressure
tension salariale: the difference between the highest and lowest salaries in a given company
tension superficielle: surface tension
tenson: tenson
tensoriel: tensorial
tenségrité: tensegrity
tentaculaire: tentacular (pertaining to tentacles; which has tentacles); tentacular (resembling a tentacle or tentacles); sprawling
tentaculairement: sprawlingly
tentacule: tentacle
tentaculé: tentacled
tentant: tempting
tentateur: tempter
tentation: temptation
tentative: attempt, try, effort (particularly of something difficult or risky)