Temper
Etymology
From Latin “temperare,” to mix in due proportion, to regulate. In metalwork, tempering reheats hardened steel to a precise degree so it loses brittleness without losing strength. The word carries that sense of correction-by-balance: you temper ambition with realism, or justice with mercy.
verb · /TEM-per/
To moderate the force of something by balancing it against a counterweight.
What it names
Improvement by controlled mixing — softening an extreme not by removing it but by offsetting it with something else.
Example
He tempered the harsh review with genuine praise for the parts that worked.
Related idea
To temper is to balance a thing against its opposite; to mitigate is simply to lessen a harm. You temper enthusiasm with caution, but you mitigate damage.
noun · /TEM-per/
A person's habitual state of mind, or specifically a tendency toward anger and the outbursts it produces.
What it names
Both an even keel and its loss — ‘an even temper’ versus ‘losing your temper’ — the inner weather itself, not the act of moderating something.
Example
He has a quick temper and snapped at the slightest provocation.
Related idea
An even temper is close to equanimity; its loss tips toward the choleric — the word names the underlying disposition itself, not the act of moderating something.
verb · /TEM-per/
To toughen metal or glass — or set chocolate — by carefully heating and then cooling it.
What it names
The controlled heat treatment that gives a material the right hardness and resilience.
Example
The smith tempered the blade so it would flex without shattering.
Related idea
Curiously, this is nearly the opposite of the ‘moderate’ sense: tempering steel makes it stronger, not gentler — though both grow from the idea of bringing something into a balanced, proper state.
See also