noun

1. A tendency to be in a certain type of mood; a habitual way of thinking, behaving or reacting.

   “to have a good, bad, or calm temper”

2. State of mind; mood.

3. A tendency to become angry.

   “He has quite a temper when dealing with salespeople.”

Synonyms: rage, disposition, temperament

verb

1. To moderate or control.

   “Temper your language around children.”

2. To strengthen or toughen a material, especially metal, by heat treatment; anneal.

   “Tempering is a heat treatment technique applied to metals, alloys, and glass to achieve greater toughness by increasing the strength of materials and/or ductility. Tempering is performed by a controlled reheating of the work piece to a temperature below its lower eutectic critical temperature.”

3. To sauté spices in ghee or oil to release essential oils for flavouring a dish in South Asian cuisine.