Adjacent Words

Tone definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TONE, n. [L. tonus; Gr. sound; L. tono; Gr. to sound, to strain or stretch. The L. sonus is probably the same word in a different dialect.]
1. Sound, or modification of sound; any impulse or vibration of the air which is perceptible by the ear; as a low tone, high tone, or loud tone; a grave tone; an acute tone; a sweet tone; a harsh tone.
2. Accent; or rather, a particular inflection of the voice, adapted to express emotion or passion; a rhetorical sense of the word.
Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes.
3. A whining sound; a whine; a kind of mournful strain of voice; as, children often read with a tone.
4. An affected sound in speaking.
5. In music, an interval of sound; as, the difference between the diapente and diatessaron, is a tone. Of tones there are two kinds, major and minor. The tone major is in the ratio of 8 to 9, which results from the difference between the fourth and fifth. The tone minor is as 9 to 10, resulting from the difference between the minor third and the fourth.
6. The tone of an instrument, is its peculiar sound with regard to softness, evenness and the like.
7. In medicine,that state of organization in a body, in which the animal functions are healthy and performed with due vigor. Tone, in its primary signification, is tension, and tension is the primary signification of strength. Hence its application to the natural healthy state of animal organs. Tone therefore in medicine, is the strength and activity of the organs, from which proceed healthy functions. So we say, the body is in a sound state, the health is sound or firm.
TONE, v.t. To utter with an affected tone.
1. To tune. [See Tune.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the quality of a person's voice; "he began in a conversational tone"; "he spoke in a nervous tone of voice" [syn: tone, tone of voice]
2: (linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages; "the Beijing dialect uses four tones"
3: (music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound); "the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely"; "the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet" [syn: timbre, timber, quality, tone]
4: the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people; "the feel of the city excited him"; "a clergyman improved the tone of the meeting"; "it had the smell of treason" [syn: spirit, tone, feel, feeling, flavor, flavour, look, smell]
5: a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color; "after several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted" [syn: shade, tint, tincture, tone]
6: a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound; "the singer held the note too long" [syn: note, musical note, tone]
7: a steady sound without overtones; "they tested his hearing with pure tones of different frequencies" [syn: tone, pure tone]
8: the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli; "the doctor tested my tonicity" [syn: tonicity, tonus, tone] [ant: amyotonia, atonia, atonicity, atony]
9: a musical interval of two semitones [syn: tone, whole tone, step, whole step]
10: the quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author; "the general tone of articles appearing in the newspapers is that the government should withdraw"; "from the tone of her behavior I gathered that I had outstayed my welcome" v
1: utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically; "The students chanted the same slogan over and over again" [syn: tone, chant, intone]
2: vary the pitch of one's speech [syn: tone, inflect, modulate]
3: change the color or tone of; "tone a negative"
4: change to a color image; "tone a photographic image"
5: give a healthy elasticity to; "Let's tone our muscles" [syn: tone, tone up, strengthen]

Merriam Webster's

biographical name (Theobald) Wolfe 1763-1798 Irish revolutionary

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French tun, ton, from Latin tonus tension, tone, from Greek tonos, literally, act of stretching; akin to Greek teinein to stretch — more at thin Date: 14th century 1. vocal or musical sound of a specific quality <spoke in low tones> <masculine tones>; especially musical sound with respect to timbre and manner of expression 2. a. a sound of definite pitch and vibration b. whole step 3. accent or inflection expressive of a mood or emotion 4. the pitch of a word often used to express differences of meaning 5. a particular pitch or change of pitch constituting an element in the intonation of a phrase or sentence <high tone> <low tone> <mid tone> <low-rising tone> <falling tone> 6. style or manner of expression in speaking or writing <seemed wise to adopt a conciliatory tone> 7. a. (1) color quality or value (2) a tint or shade of color b. the color that appreciably modifies a hue or white or black <gray walls of greenish tone> 8. the effect in painting of light and shade together with color 9. a. 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 b. normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli; specifically muscular tonus 10. a. healthy elasticity ; resiliency b. general character, quality, or trend <a city's upbeat tone> c. frame of mind ; mood II. verb (toned; toning) Date: 1660 transitive verb 1. intone 2. to give a particular intonation or inflection to 3. a. to impart tone to ; strengthen <medicine to tone up the system> b. to soften or reduce in intensity, color, appearance, or sound ; mellow — often used with down c. to change the normal silver image of (as a photographic print) into a colored image intransitive verb 1. to assume a pleasing color quality or tint 2. to blend or harmonize in color

Britannica Concise

In linguistics, a variation in the pitch of the voice while speaking. The term is usually applied to languages (called tone languages) in which pitch differentiates words with an identical sequences of consonants and vowels. For example, man in Mandarin Chinese may mean either "deceive" or "slow," depending on its pitch. In tone languages, what matters is not absolute pitch but the pitch of one word relative to another or how pitch changes within a word.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a musical or vocal sound, esp. with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength. 2 (often in pl.) modulation of the voice expressing a particular feeling or mood (a cheerful tone; suspicious tones). 3 a manner of expression in writing. 4 Mus. a a musical sound, esp. of a definite pitch and character. b an interval of a major second, e.g. C-D. 5 a the general effect of colour or of light and shade in a picture. b the tint or shade of a colour. 6 a the prevailing character of the morals and sentiments etc. in a group. b an attitude or sentiment expressed esp. in a letter etc. 7 the proper firmness of bodily organs. 8 a state of good or specified health or quality. 9 Phonet. a an accent on one syllable of a word. b a way of pronouncing a word to distinguish it from others of a similar sound (Mandarin Chinese has four tones). --v. 1 tr. give the desired tone to. 2 tr. modify the tone of. 3 intr. (often foll. by to) attune. 4 intr. (foll. by with) be in harmony (esp. of colour) (does not tone with the wallpaper). 5 tr. Photog. give (a monochrome picture) an altered colour in finishing by means of a chemical solution. 6 intr. undergo a change in colour by toning. Phrases and idioms: tone-arm the movable arm supporting the pick-up of a record-player. tone control a switch for varying the proportion of high and low frequencies in reproduced sound. tone-deaf unable to perceive differences of musical pitch accurately. tone-deafness the condition of being tone-deaf. tone down 1 make or become softer in tone of sound or colour. 2 make (a statement etc.) less harsh or emphatic. tone poem = symphonic poem. tone-row = SERIES 8. tone up 1 make or become stronger in tone of sound or colour. 2 make (a statement etc.) more emphatic. whole-tone scale see WHOLE. Derivatives: toneless adj. tonelessly adv. toner n. Etymology: ME f. OF ton or L tonus f. Gk tonos tension, tone f. teino stretch

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sensible Sen"si*ble, a. [F., fr. L. sensibilis, fr. sensus sense.] 1. Capable of being perceived by the senses; apprehensible through the bodily organs; hence, also, perceptible to the mind; making an impression upon the sense, reason, or understanding; ?????? heat; sensible resistance. Air is sensible to the touch by its motion. --Arbuthnot. The disgrace was more sensible than the pain. --Sir W. Temple. Any very sensible effect upon the prices of things. --A. Smith. 2. Having the capacity of receiving impressions from external objects; capable of perceiving by the instrumentality of the proper organs; liable to be affected physsically or mentally; impressible. Would your cambric were sensible as your finger. --Shak. 3. Hence: Liable to impression from without; easily affected; having nice perception or acute feeling; sensitive; also, readily moved or affected by natural agents; delicate; as, a sensible thermometer. ``With affection wondrous sensible.'' --Shak. 4. Perceiving or having perception, either by the senses or the mind; cognizant; perceiving so clearly as to be convinced; satisfied; persuaded. He [man] can not think at any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it. --Locke. They are now sensible it would have been better to comply than to refuse. --Addison. 5. Having moral perception; capable of being affected by moral good or evil. 6. Possessing or containing sense or reason; giftedwith, or characterized by, good or common sense; intelligent; wise. Now a sensible man, by and by a fool. --Shak. Sensible note or tone (Mus.), the major seventh note of any scale; -- so called because, being but a half step below the octave, or key tone, and naturally leading up to that, it makes the ear sensible of its approaching sound. Called also the leading tone. Sensible horizon. See Horizon, n., 2. (a) . Syn: Intelligent; wise. Usage: Sensible, Intelligent. We call a man sensible whose judgments and conduct are marked and governed by sound judgment or good common semse. We call one intelligent who is quick and clear in his understanding, i. e., who discriminates readily and nicely in respect to difficult and important distinction. The sphere of the sensible man lies in matters of practical concern; of the intelligent man, in subjects of intellectual interest. ``I have been tired with accounts from sensible men, furnished with matters of fact which have happened within their own knowledge.'' --Addison. ``Trace out numerous footsteps . . . of a most wise and intelligent architect throughout all this stupendous fabric.'' --Woodward.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tone Tone, n. 1. (Physiol.) Quality, with respect to attendant feeling; the more or less variable complex of emotion accompanying and characterizing a sensation or a conceptual state; as, feeling tone; color tone. 2. Color quality proper; -- called also hue. Also, a gradation of color, either a hue, or a tint or shade. She was dressed in a soft cloth of a gray tone. --Sir G. Parker. 3. (Plant Physiol.) The condition of normal balance of a healthy plant in its relations to light, heat, and moisture.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tone Tone, n. [F. ton, L. tonus a sound, tone, fr. Gr. ? a stretching, straining, raising of the voice, pitch, accent, measure or meter, in pl., modes or keys differing in pitch; akin to ? to stretch or strain. See Thin, and cf. Monotonous, Thunder, Ton fasion,Tune.] 1. Sound, or the character of a sound, or a sound considered as of this or that character; as, a low, high, loud, grave, acute, sweet, or harsh tone. [Harmony divine] smooths her charming tones. --Milton. Tones that with seraph hymns might blend. --Keble. 2. (Rhet.) Accent, or inflection or modulation of the voice, as adapted to express emotion or passion. Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes. --Dryden. 3. A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm ahd a regular rise and fall of the voice; as, children often read with a tone. 4. (Mus.) (a) A sound considered as to pitch; as, the seven tones of the octave; she has good high tones. (b) The larger kind of interval between contiguous sounds in the diatonic scale, the smaller being called a semitone as, a whole tone too flat; raise it a tone. (c) The peculiar quality of sound in any voice or instrument; as, a rich tone, a reedy tone. (d) A mode or tune or plain chant; as, the Gregorian tones. Note: The use of the word tone, both for a sound and for the interval between two sounds or tones, is confusing, but is common -- almost universal. Note: Nearly every musical sound is composite, consisting of several simultaneous tones having different rates of vibration according to fixed laws, which depend upon the nature of the vibrating body and the mode of excitation. The components (of a composite sound) are called partial tones; that one having the lowest rate of vibration is the fundamental tone, and the other partial tones are called harmonics, or overtones. The vibration ratios of the partial tones composing any sound are expressed by all, or by a part, of the numbers in the series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.; and the quality of any sound (the tone color) is due in part to the presence or absence of overtones as represented in this series, and in part to the greater or less intensity of those present as compared with the fundamental tone and with one another. Resultant tones, combination tones, summation tones, difference tones, Tartini's tones (terms only in part synonymous) are produced by the simultaneous sounding of two or more primary (simple or composite) tones. 5. (Med.) That state of a body, or of any of its organs or parts, in which the animal functions are healthy and performed with due vigor. Note: In this sense, the word is metaphorically applied to character or faculties, intellectual and moral; as, his mind has lost its tone. 6. (Physiol.) Tonicity; as, arterial tone. 7. State of mind; temper; mood. The strange situation I am in and the melancholy state of public affairs, . . . drag the mind down . . . from a philosophical tone or temper, to the drudgery of private and public business. --Bolingbroke. Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing. --W. C. Bryant. 8. Tenor; character; spirit; drift; as, the tone of his remarks was commendatory. 9. General or prevailing character or style, as of morals, manners, or sentiment, in reference to a scale of high and low; as, a low tone of morals; a tone of elevated sentiment; a courtly tone of manners. 10. The general effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, together with color in the case of a painting; -- commonly used in a favorable sense; as, this picture has tone. Tone color. (Mus.) see the Note under def. 4, above. Tone syllable, an accented syllable. --M. Stuart.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tone Tone, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Toned; p. pr. & vb. n. Toning.] 1. To utter with an affected tone. 2. To give tone, or a particular tone, to; to tune. See Tune, v. t. 3. (Photog.) To bring, as a print, to a certain required shade of color, as by chemical treatment. To tone down. (a) To cause to give lower tone or sound; to give a lower tone to. (b) (Paint.) To modify, as color, by making it less brilliant or less crude; to modify, as a composition of color, by making it more harmonius. Its thousand hues toned down harmoniusly. --C. Kingsley. (c) Fig.: To moderate or relax; to diminish or weaken the striking characteristics of; to soften. The best method for the purpose in hand was to employ some one of a character and position suited to get possession of their confidence, and then use it to tone down their religious strictures. --Palfrey. To tone up, to cause to give a higher tone or sound; to give a higher tone to; to make more intense; to heighten; to strengthen.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(tones, toning, toned) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. The tone of a sound is its particular quality. Cross could hear him speaking in low tones to Sarah. ...the clear tone of the bell. N-COUNT: with supp, usu pl 2. Someone's tone is a quality in their voice which shows what they are feeling or thinking. I still didn't like his tone of voice... Her tone implied that her patience was limited. N-COUNT: usu with supp 3. The tone of a speech or piece of writing is its style and the opinions or ideas expressed in it. The spokesman said the tone of the letter was very friendly... His comments to reporters were conciliatory in tone... N-SING: also in N 4. The tone of a place or an event is its general atmosphere. The service desk at the entrance, with its friendly, helpful and efficient staff, sets the tone for the rest of the store. N-SING: the N, usu with supp 5. The tone of someone's body, especially their muscles, is its degree of firmness and strength. ...stretch exercises that aim to improve muscle tone... N-UNCOUNT 6. Something that tones your body makes it firm and strong. This movement lengthens your spine and tones the spinal nerves... Try these toning exercises before you start the day. ...finely toned muscular bodies. VERB: V n, V-ing, V-ed • Tone up means the same as tone. Exercise tones up your body... Although it's not strenuous exercise, you feel toned-up, supple and relaxed. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V-ed P 7. A tone is one of the lighter, darker, or brighter shades of the same colour. Each brick also varies slightly in tone, texture and size... N-VAR 8. A tone is one of the sounds that you hear when you are using a telephone, for example the sound that tells you that a number is engaged or busy, or no longer exists. N-SING: usu with supp 9. see also dialling tone, ring tone 10. If you say that something lowers the tone of a place or event, you mean that it is not appropriate and makes the place or event seem less respectable. Councillors say plastic-framed windows lower the tone of the neighbourhood. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Sound, note. 2. Accent, intonation, emphasis, cadence, modulation, inflection. 3. Temper, mood, state of mind. 4. Vigor, strength, energy, force, tension, elasticity. 5. Prevailing color (of a picture), general effect, style, manner, cast. 6. Tenor, drift, prevailing character, spirit.

Moby Thesaurus

French pitch, Munsell chroma, Zeitgeist, accent, accidental, achromatism, action, actions, activity, acts, adaptability, address, affect, affectation, air, algorithm, anagnorisis, angle, apply paint, approach, architectonics, architecture, argument, arrangement, aspect, atmosphere, attack, attitude, audio frequency, aura, background, balance, bearing, bedaub, bedizen, beef, beefiness, begild, behavior, behavior pattern, behavioral norm, behavioral science, bend, besmear, bias, blend, body-build, bounce, bounciness, brand, brawn, brawniness, breve, brighten up, brightness, brush on paint, brushwork, buoyance, buoyancy, calcimine, carriage, cast, catastrophe, character, characteristic, characteristics, characterization, chroma, chromatic color, chromaticity, chromatism, chromism, classical pitch, climate, coat, color, color balance, color harmony, color quality, color scheme, coloration, colorimetric quality, coloring, complexion, complication, comportment, composition, conduct, consecutive intervals, constituents, constitution, continuity, contrivance, cool color, course, cover, crasis, crotchet, cue, culture pattern, current, custom, dab, dampen, daub, decorator color, deep-dye, degree, demeanor, demisemiquaver, denouement, deportment, depth, design, development, device, dharma, diapason, diatessaron, diathesis, diatonic interval, diatonic semitone, dip, direction, dispose, disposition, distemper, doing, doings, dominant, dominant note, double whole note, double-dye, draftsmanship, drift, dulcetness, dull, dye, eighth note, elasticity, emblazon, emphasis, enamel, engild, enharmonic, enharmonic diesis, enharmonic interval, enharmonic note, episode, ethos, extensibility, fable, face, falling action, fashion, fast-dye, feel, feeling, fiber, fifth, flat, flexibility, folkway, force, form, fourth, frame, frame of mind, frequency, fresco, freshen up, fullness, fundamental, fundamental tone, genius, gestures, gild, gimmick, give, glacial movement, glaze, gloss, goings-on, grain, grouping, guise, habit, half note, half step, halftone, harmonic, heart, heftiness, height, hemidemisemiquaver, high pitch, hue, humor, humors, huskiness, ilk, illuminate, imbue, incident, incline, induce, inflection, influence, ingrain, interval, intonation, intonation pattern, involuntary muscle, japan, key, kind, lacquer, lay on color, lead, less semitone, lightness, limber up, line, line of action, lines, liveliness, local color, low pitch, main current, mainstream, maintien, makeup, manner, manner of speaking, manner of working, manners, means, mellifluence, mellifluousness, melodic interval, melodiousness, melody, method, methodology, methods, mien, milieu, mind, minim, mode, mode of expression, mode of operation, mode of procedure, moderate, modify, modulate, modulation, modus operandi, modus vivendi, mold, monotone, monotony, mood, morale, motif, motion, motions, move, movement, movements, moves, muscle, muscularity, musculature, musical note, musical quality, musical sound, musicality, mute, mythos, natural, natural color, nature, neutral color, new philharmonic pitch, note, observable behavior, octave, order, overtone, paint, painterliness, pallor, parallel octaves, parget, partial, partial tone, patent note, pattern, peripeteia, perspective, persuade, philharmonic pitch, philosophical pitch, phrasing, physique, pigment, pitch, pitch accent, plan, plot, poise, port, pose, posture, practice, praxis, predispose, presence, prime, procedure, proceeding, process, prompt, property, purity, quality, quarter note, quaver, quieten, rebound, recognition, reduce, register, reinvigorate, report, resilience, resiliency, resonance, responding note, responsiveness, revitalize, richness, rising action, routine, run, saturation, scheme, second, secondary plot, semibreve, semiquaver, semitone, sense, set, seventh, shade, shading, shadow, shape, shaped note, sharp, shellac, sinew, sinewiness, sinews, sixteenth note, sixth, sixty-fourth note, skin color, slant, slop on paint, smear, snap, social science, soft-pedal, soften, soften up, somatotype, sonority, sonorousness, sort, sound, speech tune, spiccato, spirit, spirits, spring, springiness, staccato, stain, stamp, standard pitch, state of mind, step, stipple, story, streak, stream, stress, stretch, stretchability, stretchiness, stripe, structure, style, subdue, subject, subplot, suchness, suprasegmental, sustained note, sway, sweetness, swing, switch, system, tack, tactics, technique, temper, temperament, tendency, tenor, tercet, the drill, the general tendency, the how, the main course, the way of, thematic development, theme, thew, thewiness, thews, third, thirty-second note, timbre, time spirit, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, tonality, tone color, tone down, tone of voice, tone quality, tone up, tonelessness, tonicity, tonus, topic, treatment, trend, triplet, tune, tune up, tunefulness, turn, twist, type, undercoat, undercolor, undertone, unison interval, value, values, varnish, vein, voce, voice, voice qualifier, voice quality, voluntary muscle, warm color, wash, way, way of life, way of saying, ways, wear down, weigh with, whitewash, whole note, whole step, wise, work