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Contents
tone definition
Overview
This page has 34 definitions of tone with English translations in 7 languages. Tone is a noun, verb and pronoun. Examples of how to use tone in a sentence are shown. Also define these 0 related words and terms: .
English tone definition
Etymology 1
From Middle English ton, tone, from Latin tonus (“sound, tone”) (possibly through Old French ton[1]), from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “strain, tension, pitch”), from τείνω (teínō, “I stretch”). Doublet of tune, ton, tonos, and tonus.
Pronunciation
Noun
tone (plural tones)
- (music) A specific pitch.
- (music) (in the diatonic scale) An interval of a major second.
- (music) (in a Gregorian chant) A recitational melody.
- The character of a sound, especially the timbre of an instrument or voice.
- General character, mood, or trend.
- Her rousing speech gave an upbeat tone to the rest of the evening.
- (linguistics) The pitch of a word that distinguishes a difference in meaning, for example in Chinese.
- (dated) 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.
- (literature) The manner in which speech or writing is expressed.
- 1850, William Cullen Bryant, Letters of a Traveller
- Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing.
- 1850, William Cullen Bryant, Letters of a Traveller
- (obsolete) State of mind; temper; mood.
- c. 1714 (undated), Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, letter to Alexander Pope
- 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.
- c. 1714 (undated), Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, letter to Alexander Pope
- The shade or quality of a colour.
- 2017, Adam Rutherford, A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, The Experiment, →ISBN, page 81:
- We make crude visual distinctions and effectively meaningless categorizations based on average skin tones, such as black or white.
- The favourable effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, or of colours.
- This picture has tone.
- The definition and firmness of a muscle or organ; see also: tonus.
- (biology) 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.
- (biology) Normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli.
- (African-American Vernacular, slang) a gun
- 1993, 8Ball (lyrics), “9 Little Millimeta Boys”, in Comin' Out Hard:
- But nigga don't step wrong, cuz 8ball keep a tone
- 1994, Princess Loko (lyrics), “Murda In Da 1st Degree”, in Ashes 2 Ashes, Dust 2 Dust:
- M.A.C.T.D.O.G got the tone so hoe you know it's on
- 2011, Project Pat (lyrics), “Dollar Signs (Remix)”, in Loud Pack:
- Got the tone to ya head yo life flashing right front your eyes
Synonyms
- (an interval of a major second): whole tone
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
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Verb
tone (third-person singular simple present tones, present participle toning, simple past and past participle toned)
- (transitive) to give a particular tone to
- (transitive) to change the colour of
- (transitive) to make (something) firmer
- (intransitive) to harmonize, especially in colour
- (transitive) to utter with an affected tone.
Synonyms
- (give a particular tone to):
- (change the colour of): color/colour, dye, paint, tint
- (make firmer): firm, firm up, tone up
- (harmonize): harmonise/harmonize
- (utter with an affected tone):
Derived terms
Translations
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Etymology 2
From Middle English tone, ton, toon, from the incorrect division of thet one (“the/that one”). Compare Scots tane in the tane; see also tother.
Pronoun
tone
Further reading
- tone in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- tone in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
References
Anagrams
Afrikaans tone definition
Noun
tone
Danish tone definition
Etymology
From Old Norse tóni, from Latin tonus (“sound, tone”), from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “strain, tension, pitch”), from τείνω (teínō, “I stretch”).
Pronunciation
Noun
tone c (singular definite tonen, plural indefinite toner)
Declension
Verb
tone (imperative ton, infinitive at tone, present tense toner, past tense tonede, perfect tense har tonet)
References
- “tone” in Den Danske Ordbog
Dutch tone definition
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Verb
tone
Anagrams
Latin tone definition
Noun
tone
Middle English tone definition
Pronoun
tone
- the one (of two)
- 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum lxiij”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book X, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, OCLC 71490786; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, OCLC 890162034:
- So wythin the thirde day, there cam to the cité thes two brethirne: the tone hyght Sir Helyus and the other hyght Helake
Norwegian Bokmål tone definition
Etymology
From Old Norse tóni, from Latin tonus (“sound, tone”), from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “strain, tension, pitch”), from τείνω (teínō, “I stretch”).
Noun
tone m (definite singular tonen, indefinite plural toner, definite plural tonene)
- a tone (sound, colour etc.)
Derived terms
References
- “tone” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Anagrams
Norwegian Nynorsk tone definition
Etymology
From Old Norse tóni, from Latin tonus (“sound, tone”), from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “strain, tension, pitch”), from τείνω (teínō, “I stretch”).
Pronunciation
Noun
tone m (definite singular tonen, indefinite plural tonar, definite plural tonane)
- a tone (sound, colour etc.)
Derived terms
References
- “tone” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Swahili tone definition
Pronunciation
Audio (Kenya) (file)
Noun
tone (ma class, plural matone)
Tokelauan tone definition
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
tone
Alternative forms
References
- R. Simona, editor (1986) Tokelau Dictionary[2], Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 397