1 tench | Definition of tench
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

tench

noun
\ ˈtench How to pronounce tench (audio) \
plural tench or tenches

Definition of tench

: a cyprinid fish (Tinca tinca) native to Eurasia but introduced in the U.S. and noted for its ability to survive in poorly oxygenated waters

Examples of tench in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Tench was already serving a five-year prison sentence when the murder trial began, records show. — Evan Macdonald, cleveland.com, "5 killings, 2 counties: How cases against man accused in Stark and Cuyahoga County killings will unfold," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tench.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of tench

13th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for tench

Middle English tenche, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Late Latin tinca, of obscure origin

Note: The earliest occurrence of the Latin word tinca is in a catalog of fishes in the poem Mosella, a description of the river Moselle by the 4th-century poet and rhetorician Ausonius, born in Burgidala (Bordeaux). Tinca also occurs as a proper name in Cicero and Quintilian, applied to individuals from northern Italy. These localizations might indicate Gaulish origin, but the etymon tinca has outcomes throughout the Western Romance area, including Sardinia and southern Italy, where there was no Gaulish substratum.

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on tench

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with tench

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tench

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!