WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Te*na"cious
Part of Speech : a.
Etymology : [L. tenax, -acis, from tenere to hold. See Tenable, and cf. Tenace.]
Definition : 1. Holding fast, or inclined to hold fast; inclined to retain what is in possession; as, men tenacious of their just rights.

2. Apt to retain; retentive; as, a tenacious memory.

3. Having parts apt to adhere to each other; cohesive; tough; as, steel is a tenacious metal; tar is more tenacious than oil. Sir I. Newton.

4. Apt to adhere to another substance; glutinous; viscous; sticking; adhesive. "Female feet, too weak to struggle with tenacious clay." Cowper.

5. Niggardly; closefisted; miserly. Ainsworth.

6. Holding stoutly to one's opinion or purpose; obstinate; stubborn. -- Te*na"cious*ly, adv. -- Te*na"cious*ness, n.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913