Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Tone

Tone

(tōn)
,
Noun.
[F.
ton
, L.
tonus
a sound, tone, fr. Gr.
τόνοσ
a stretching, straining, raising of the voice, pitch, accent, measure or meter, in pl., modes or keys differing in pitch; akin to
τείνειν
to stretch or strain. See
Thin
, and cf.
Monotonous
,
Thunder
,
Ton
fashion,
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
.
☞ 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.
☞ 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.
☞ 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.

Tone

,
Verb.
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
,
Verb.
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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Tone

TONE

,
Noun.
[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

,
Verb.
T.
To utter with an affected tone.
1.
To tune. [See Tune.]

Definition 2024

Tone

Tone

See also: tone and Töne

German

Noun

Tone

  1. plural of Ton

Norwegian

Etymology

Medieval contraction of Torny, from Old Norse Þorný.

Proper noun

Tone

  1. A female given name.

Related terms

References

  • Kristoffer Kruken - Ola Stemshaug: Norsk personnamnleksikon, Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1995, ISBN 82-521-4483-7
  • Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 15 092 females with the given name Tone living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the frequency peak in the 1960s. Accessed on April 18th, 2011.

tone

tone

See also: Tone and Töne

English

Pronunciation

  • (UK) enPR: tōn, IPA(key): /təʊn/
  • (US) enPR: tōn, IPA(key): /toʊn/
  • Rhymes: -əʊn

Noun

tone ‎(plural tones)

  1. (music) A specific pitch.
  2. (music) (in the diatonic scale) An interval of a major second.
  3. (music) (in a Gregorian chant) A recitational melody.
  4. The character of a sound, especially the timbre of an instrument or voice.
  5. General character, mood, or trend.
    Her rousing speech gave an upbeat tone to the rest of the evening.
  6. (linguistics) The pitch of a word that distinguishes a difference in meaning, for example in Chinese.
  7. (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.
  8. (literature) The manner in which speech or writing is expressed.
    • W. C. Bryant
      Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing.
  9. (obsolete) State of mind; temper; mood.
    • Bolingbroke
      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.
  10. The shade or quality of a colour.
  11. The favourable effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, or of colours.
    This picture has tone.
  12. The definition and firmness of a muscle or organ. see also: tonus
  13. (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.
  14. (biology) Normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Verb

tone ‎(third-person singular simple present tones, present participle toning, simple past and past participle toned)

  1. (transitive) to give a particular tone to
  2. (transitive) to change the colour of
  3. (transitive) to make (something) firmer
  4. (intransitive) to harmonize, especially in colour
  5. (transitive) To utter with an affected tone.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

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

  1. (now dialectal) The one (of two).
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d’Arthur, Bk.X, Ch.lxiij:
      So wythin the thirde day, there cam to the cité thes two brethirne: the tone hyght Sir Helyus and the other hyght Helake

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: v. · difficult · top · #802: tone · silent · takes · honour

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse tóni, from Latin tonus ‎(“sound, tone”), from Ancient Greek τόνος ‎(tónos, “strain, tension, pitch”), from τείνω ‎(teínō, “I stretch”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /toːnə/, [ˈtˢoːnə]

Noun

tone c (singular definite tonen, plural indefinite toner)

  1. tone
  2. note

Inflection

Verb

tone ‎(imperative ton, infinitive at tone, present tense toner, past tense tonede, perfect tense har tonet)

  1. sound
  2. tone
  3. tint

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

tone

  1. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of tonen

Anagrams

Latin

Noun

tone

  1. vocative singular of tonus

Norwegian Bokmål

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)

  1. a tone (sound, colour etc.)

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

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 tonar, definite plural tonane)

  1. a tone (sound, colour etc.)

References

Swahili

Noun

tone (ma class, plural matone)

  1. drop

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈtoːnə/

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