Tone (noun)
A specific pitch.
Tone (noun)
(in the diatonic scale) An interval of a major second.
Tone (noun)
(in a Gregorian chant) A recitational melody.
Tone (noun)
The character of a sound, especially the timbre of an instrument or voice.
Tone (noun)
General character, mood, or trend.
“Her rousing speech gave an upbeat tone to the rest of the evening.”
Tone (noun)
The pitch of a word that distinguishes a difference in meaning, for example in Chinese.
Tone (noun)
A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm and a regular rise and fall of the voice.
“Children often read with a tone.”
Tone (noun)
The manner in which speech or writing is expressed.
Tone (noun)
State of mind; temper; mood.
Tone (noun)
The shade or quality of a colour.
Tone (noun)
The favourable effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, or of colours.
“This picture has tone.”
Tone (noun)
The definition and firmness of a muscle or organ. see also: tonus
Tone (noun)
The state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.
Tone (noun)
Normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli.
Tone (verb)
to give a particular tone to
Tone (verb)
to change the colour of
Tone (verb)
to make (something) firmer
Tone (verb)
to harmonize, especially in colour
Tone (verb)
To utter with an affected tone.
Tone (pronoun)
The one (of two).
Tune (noun)
A melody.
Tune (noun)
A song, or short musical composition.
Tune (noun)
The act of tuning or maintenance.
“Your engine needs a good tune.”
Tune (noun)
The state or condition of being correctly tuned.
“Your engine is now in tune.”
“This piano is not in tune.”
Tune (noun)
Temper; frame of mind.
Tune (noun)
A sound; a note; a tone.
Tune (noun)
Order; harmony; concord.
Tune (interjection)
Used to show appreciation or approval of a song.
“You heard the new Rizzle Kicks song? — Tune!”
Tune (verb)
To adjust (a musical instrument) so that it produces the correct pitches.
“to tune a piano or a violin”
Tune (verb)
To adjust or modify (esp. a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally.
“Tuning the engine gave me an extra twenty horsepower.”
“Tune your mind, and anything becomes possible.”
Tune (verb)
To adjust the frequency on a radio or TV set, so as to receive the desired channel.
“Tune to Channel 6 for all your favourite daytime shows.”
Tune (verb)
To adapt to or direct towards a particular target.
“My ears were tuned to the sounds of the forest.”
Tune (verb)
To make more precise, intense, or effective; to put into a proper state or disposition.
Tune (verb)
To attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious.
Tune (verb)
To give a certain tone or character to.
Tune (verb)
To sing with melody or harmony.
Tune (verb)
To cheek; to be impudent towards.
“Are you tuning me?”
Tone (noun)
a musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength
“they were speaking in hushed tones”
“the piano tone appears lacking in warmth”
Tone (noun)
a modulation of the voice expressing a particular feeling or mood
“a firm tone of voice”
Tone (noun)
a musical note or other sound used as a signal on a telephone or answering machine.
Tone (noun)
the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
“there was a general tone of ill-concealed glee in the reporting”
“my friend and I lowered the tone with our oafish ways”
Tone (noun)
an atmosphere of respectability or class
“they don’t feel he gives the place tone”
Tone (noun)
a basic interval in classical Western music, equal to two semitones and separating, for example, the first and second notes of an ordinary scale (such as C and D, or E and F sharp); a major second
“the B flat clarinet’s part is written one tone higher than the pitch required”
Tone (noun)
the particular quality of brightness, deepness, or hue of a shade of a colour
“an attractive colour which is even in tone and texture”
“stained glass in vivid tones of red and blue”
Tone (noun)
the general effect of colour or of light and shade in a picture.
Tone (noun)
a slight degree of difference in the intensity of a colour.
Tone (noun)
(in some languages, such as Chinese) a particular pitch pattern on a syllable used to make semantic distinctions.
Tone (noun)
(in some languages, such as English) intonation on a word or phrase used to add functional meaning.
Tone (noun)
the normal level of firmness or slight contraction in a resting muscle
“a reduction of muscle tone”
“a certain amount of daily exercise is essential to maintain proper body tone and function”
Tone (noun)
the normal level of activity in a nerve fibre
“vagal tone”
Tone (verb)
give greater strength or firmness to (the body or a muscle)
“exercise tones up the muscles”
Tone (verb)
(of a muscle or other bodily part) became stronger or firmer
“his leg muscles had toned up”
Tone (verb)
harmonize with (something) in terms of colour
“the rich orange colour of the wood tones beautifully with the yellow roses”
Tone (verb)
give (a monochrome picture) an altered colour in finishing by means of a chemical solution
“it’s a good idea to sepia tone the whole print first”