1. (noun)pique, temper, irritation a sudden outburst of anger
"his temper sparked like damp firewood"
2. (noun)temper, mood, humor, humour a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling "whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time"; "he was in a bad humor"
3. (noun)temper, biliousness, irritability, peevishness, pettishness, snappishness, surliness a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
"his temper was well known to all his employees"
4. (noun)temper, toughness the elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking
5. (verb)anneal, temper, normalize bring to a desired consistency, texture, or hardness by a process of gradually heating and cooling
"temper glass"
6. (verb)temper, harden harden by reheating and cooling in oil
"temper steel"
7. (verb)temper adjust the pitch (of pianos)
8. (verb)temper, season, mollify make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate
"she tempered her criticism"