Adjacent Words

Tune definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TUNE, n. [L. tonus.]
1. A series of musical notes in some particular measure, and consisting of a single series, for one voice or instrument, the effect of which is melody; or a union of two or more series or parts to be sung or played in concert, the effect of which is harmony. Thus we say, a merry tune, a lively tune, a grave tune, a psalm tune, a martial tune.
2. Sound; note.
3. Harmony; order; concert of parts.
A continual parliament I thought would but keep the commonweal in tune.
4. The state of giving the proper sounds; as when we say, a harpsichord is in tune; that is, when the several chords are of that tension, that each gives its proper sound, and the sounds of all are at due intervals, both of tones and semitones.
5. Proper state for use or application; right disposition; fit temper or humor. The mind is not in tune for mirth.
A child will learn three times as fast when he is in tune,as he will when he is dragged to this task.
TUNE, v.t. To put into a state adapted to produce the proper sounds; as, to tune a forte-piano; to tune a violin.
Tune your harps.
1. To sing with melody or harmony.
Fountains, and ye that warble as ye flow
Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise.
So we say of birds, they tune their notes or lays.
2. To put into a state proper for any purpose, or adapted to produce a particular effect. [Little used.]
TUNE, v.i. To form one sound to another.
While tuning to the waters'fall
The small birds sang to her.
1. To utter inarticulate harmony with the voice.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she was humming an air from Beethoven" [syn: tune, melody, air, strain, melodic line, line, melodic phrase]
2: the property of producing accurately a note of a given pitch; "he cannot sing in tune"; "the clarinet was out of tune"
3: the adjustment of a radio receiver or other circuit to a required frequency v
1: adjust for (better) functioning; "tune the engine" [syn: tune, tune up]
2: adjust the pitches of (musical instruments); "My piano needs to be tuned" [syn: tune, tune up] [ant: untune]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French tun, tuen tone Date: 14th century 1. a. archaic quality of sound ; tone b. manner of utterance ; intonation; specifically phonetic modulation 2. a. a pleasing succession of musical tones ; melody b. a dominant theme 3. correct musical pitch or consonance — used chiefly in the phrases in tune and out of tune 4. a. archaic a frame of mind ; mood b. agreement, harmony <in tune with the times> c. general attitude ; approach <changed his tune when the going got rough> 5. amount, extent <custom-made to the tune of $40 to $50 apiece — American Fabrics> II. verb (tuned; tuning) Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to adjust in musical pitch or cause to be in tune <tuned her guitar> 2. a. to bring into harmony ; attune b. to adjust for precise functioning — often used with up <tune up an engine> c. to make more precise, intense, or effective 3. to adjust with respect to resonance at a particular frequency: as a. to adjust (a radio or television receiver) to respond to waves of a particular frequency — often used with in b. to establish radio contact with <tune in a directional beacon> 4. to adjust the frequency of the output of (a device) to a chosen frequency or range of frequencies; also to alter the frequency of (radiation) intransitive verb 1. to become attuned 2. to adjust a radio or television receiver to respond to waves of a particular frequency

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. a melody with or without harmony. --v. 1 tr. put (a musical instrument) in tune. 2 a tr. adjust (a radio receiver etc.) to the particular frequency of the required signals. b intr. (foll. by in) adjust a radio receiver to the required signal (tuned in to Radio 2). 3 tr. adjust (an engine etc.) to run smoothly and efficiently. 4 tr. (foll. by to) adjust or adapt to a required or different purpose, situation, etc. 5 intr. (foll. by with) be in harmony with. Phrases and idioms: in tune 1 having the correct pitch or intonation (sings in tune). 2 (usu. foll. by with) harmonizing with one's company, surroundings, etc. out of tune 1 not having the correct pitch or intonation (always plays out of tune). 2 (usu. foll. by with) clashing with one's company etc. to the tune of colloq. to the considerable sum or amount of. tune up 1 (of an orchestra) bring the instruments to the proper or uniform pitch. 2 begin to play or sing. 3 bring to the most efficient condition. Derivatives: tunable adj. (also tuneable). Etymology: ME: unexpl. var. of TONE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tune Tune, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tuned; p. pr. & vb. n. Tuning.] 1. To put into a state adapted to produce the proper sounds; to harmonize, to cause to be in tune; to correct the tone of; as, to tune a piano or a violin. `` Tune your harps.'' --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tune Tune, n. [A variant of tone.] 1. A sound; a note; a tone. ``The tune of your voices.'' --Shak. 2. (Mus.) (a) A rhythmical, melodious, symmetrical series of tones for one voice or instrument, or for any number of voices or instruments in unison, or two or more such series forming parts in harmony; a melody; an air; as, a merry tune; a mournful tune; a slow tune; a psalm tune. See Air. (b) The state of giving the proper, sound or sounds; just intonation; harmonious accordance; pitch of the voice or an instrument; adjustment of the parts of an instrument so as to harmonize with itself or with others; as, the piano, or the organ, is not in tune. Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh. --Shak. 3. Order; harmony; concord; fit disposition, temper, or humor; right mood. A child will learn three times as much when he is in tune, as when he . . . is dragged unwillingly to [his task]. --Locke.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tune Tune, v. i. 1. To form one sound to another; to form accordant musical sounds. Whilst tuning to the water's fall, The small birds sang to her. --Drayton. 2. To utter inarticulate harmony with the voice; to sing without pronouncing words; to hum. [R.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(tunes, tuning, tuned) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A tune is a series of musical notes that is pleasant and easy to remember. She was humming a merry little tune. = melody N-COUNT 2. You can refer to a song or a short piece of music as a tune. She'll also be playing your favourite pop tunes. N-COUNT 3. When someone tunes a musical instrument, they adjust it so that it produces the right notes. 'We do tune our guitars before we go on,' he insisted. VERB: V n • Tune up means the same as tune. Others were quietly tuning up their instruments. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron) 4. When an engine or machine is tuned, it is adjusted so that it works well. Drivers are urged to make sure that car engines are properly tuned. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed • Tune up means the same as tune. The shop charges up to $500 to tune up a Porsche. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron) 5. If your radio or television is tuned to a particular broadcasting station, you are listening to or watching the programmes being broadcast by that station. A small colour television was tuned to an afternoon soap opera. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed to n 6. see also fine-tune, signature tune, tuning fork 7. If you say that a person or organization is calling the tune, you mean that they are in a position of power or control in a particular situation. Who would then be calling the tune in Parliament? PHRASE: V inflects 8. If you say that someone has changed their tune, you are criticizing them because they have changed their opinion or way of doing things. You've changed your tune since this morning, haven't you?... PHRASE: V inflects [disapproval] 9. If you say that someone is dancing to someone else's tune, you mean that they are allowing themselves to be controlled by the other person. The danger of commercialism is that the churches end up dancing to the tune of their big business sponsors. PHRASE: V inflects [disapproval] 10. A person or musical instrument that is in tune produces exactly the right notes. A person or musical instrument that is out of tune does not produce exactly the right notes. It was just an ordinary voice, but he sang in tune... Many of the notes are out of tune... PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR 11. If you are in tune with a group of people, you are in agreement or sympathy with them. If you are out of tune with them, you are not in agreement or sympathy with them. Today, his change of direction seems more in tune with the times... The peace campaigners were probably out of tune with most Britons. PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR n 12. To the tune of a particular amount of money means to the extent of that amount. They've been sponsoring the World Cup to the tune of a million and a half pounds. PREP-PHRASE: PREP amount 13. he who pays the piper calls the tune: see piper

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Air, melody, strain. 2. Concord, harmony, harmonious accordance, agreement, concert of parts. 3. Order, harmony, concord, fit disposition, proper mood. II. v. a. 1. Harmonize, accord, modulate, attune, put in tune. 2. Put into order, put into a proper state. 3. Attune, adapt. 4. Sing. 5. Play harmoniously.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To beat: his father tuned him delightfully: perhaps from fetching a tune out of the person beaten, or from a comparison with the disagreeable sounds of instruments when tuning.

Moby Thesaurus

French pitch, accommodate, accord, accordance, adapt, adjust, adjust to, agreement, air, align, aria, assimilate, assonate, atone, attend to, attune, attunement, be aware of, be blind to, be harmonious, be in tune, blend, calibrate, canto, cantus, capacitate, carol, chant, chart, chime, chiming, chord, chorus, classical pitch, codify, composition, concentus, concert, concord, concordance, condition, conform, conformity, consonance, consonancy, consort, coordinate, correspondence, cut to, depth, descant, dial, diapason, disregard, dulcetness, enable, equalize, equip, euphony, extent, fit, fix, furnish, gear to, harmonics, harmonize, harmony, heavy harmony, height, high pitch, homologate, homologize, homophony, ignore, integrate, key, key to, lay, line, listen to, low pitch, magnitude, make plumb, make uniform, matter, measure, mellifluence, mellifluousness, melodia, melodic line, melodiousness, melodize, melody, methodize, monochord, monody, motif, musical quality, musical sound, musicality, musicalize, neighborhood, new philharmonic pitch, normalize, note, number, organize, pay attention to, philharmonic pitch, philosophical pitch, piece, pitch, plan, proportion, put in trim, put in tune, qualify, range, rationalize, reconcile, rectify, refrain, register, regularize, regulate, right, routinize, set, set right, settle, similarize, solo, solo part, song, soprano part, sound in tune, sound together, standard pitch, standardize, strain, string, suit, sweetness, symphonize, symphony, sync, synchronism, synchronization, synchronize, systematize, tailor, theme, three-part harmony, tonality, tone, tone down, tone up, treble, trim to, true, true up, tune out, tune up, tunefulness, understand, unison, unisonance, vicinity, vocalize, voice, warble