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Glite Dictionary
🎤 A high male singer 🎶 High male voice
countertenor

countertenor

3 8.8
A man who sings in a very high voice like an alto
  • noun
  • /ˈkaʊntərˌtɛnər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : contratenor
  • During the performance, the countertenor showcased his unique voice, blending seamlessly with the orchestra.
  • countertenor voice
  • countertenor roles in opera

Examples

  • Fuckee-fuckee indeed—if I didn't do something soon, I was going to perform the rest of this fekokte mission as a goddamn countertenor.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Blaine Anderson, current boyfriend of the countertenor, patted his arm.

    Blog text (4)

  • (♪ Countertenor singing)

    The Merchant of Venice (2004)

  • The opera featured a talented countertenor who captivated the audience with his soaring high notes.

  • Audiences were thrilled to hear a famous countertenor performing classic arias at the concert.

Surface Forms

countertenor singular
countertenors plural

Morphology

countertenor = tenor (semi-transparent) = counter + tenor

Form is clearly 'counter' + 'tenor', but the specialised musical meaning (a male alto-like voice) is technical and not fully deducible by all learners.

Etymology

Countertenor comes from two parts: counter- meaning 'against' and tenor, a male singing voice. So a countertenor is a man who sings 'against' or above the tenor, usually in a high, alto-like range.