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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ten·ant       (těn'ənt)  Pronunciation Key  n.   One that pays rent to use or occupy land, a building, or other property owned by another. A dweller in a place; an occupant. Law One who holds or possesses lands, tenements, or sometimes personal property by any kind of title. tr. & intr.v.   ten·ant·ed, ten·ant·ing, ten·ants To hold as a tenant or be a tenant. [Middle English, from Old French, from present participle of tenir, to hold, from Latin tenēre; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
tenant 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

tenant
noun
1.	someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else; "the landlord can evict a tenant who doesn't pay the rent"
2.	a holder of buildings or lands by any kind of title (as ownership or lease)
3.	any occupant who dwells in a place
verb
1.	occupy as a tenant

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: ten·ant
Pronunciation: 'te-n&nt
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French, from Old French, from present participle of tenir to hold, fromLatin tenEre
: one who holds or possesses property by any kind of right : one who holds a tenancy in property; specifically : one who possesses property inexchange for payment of rent —see also LESSEE —compare TENANCY

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Tenant

Cap"i*te\, n. [L., abl. of caput head.] See under Tenant.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Tenant

Lieu*ten"ant\ (l[-u]*t[e^]n"ant), n. [F., fr. lieu place + tenant holding, p. pr. of tenir to hold, L. tenere. See Lieu, and Tenant, and cf. Locum Tenens.]

1. An officer who supplies the place of a superior in his absence; a representative of, or substitute for, another in the performance of any duty.

The lawful magistrate, who is the vicegerent or lieutenant of God. --Abp. Bramhall.

2. (a) A commissioned officer in the army, next below a captain. (b) A commissioned officer in the British navy, in rank next below a commander. (c) A commissioned officer in the United States navy, in rank next below a lieutenant commander.

Note: Lieutenant is often used, either adjectively or in hyphened compounds, to denote an officer, in rank next below another, especially when the duties of the higher officer may devolve upon the lower one; as, lieutenant general, or lieutenant-general; lieutenant colonel, or lieutenant-colonel; lieutenant governor, etc.

Deputy lieutenant, the title of any one of the deputies or assistants of the lord lieutenant of a county. [Eng.]

Lieutenant colonel, an army officer next in rank above major, and below colonel.

Lieutenant commander, an officer in the United States navy, in rank next below a commander and next above a lieutenant.

Lieutenant general. See in Vocabulary.

Lieutenant governor. (a) An officer of a State, being next in rank to the governor, and, in case of the death or resignation of the latter, himself acting as governor. [U. S.] (b) A deputy governor acting as the chief civil officer of one of several colonies under a governor general. [Eng.]