It can also have more nuanced meanings depending on the context:
* "To hold" in the sense of physically holding something.
* "To possess" in the sense of owning something.
* "To maintain" in the sense of keeping something in a particular state.
* "To control" in the sense of having power over something.
Examples:
* "Teneo librum." (I hold the book.)
* "Teneo domum." (I own the house.)
* "Teneo ordinem." (I maintain order.)
* "Teneo potestatem." (I hold power.)
The word "teneo" is also the root of many English words, such as "tenacious," "tenant," and "tenure."