1. tone(n = noun.communication) tone of voice - the quality of a person's voice; "he began in a conversational tone"; "he spoke in a nervous tone of voice"
is a kind of delivery, manner of speaking, speech
has particulars: note, rotundity, roundness, undertone
Derived form verb intonate1
2. tone(n = noun.attribute) - (linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages; "the Beijing dialect uses four tones"
is a kind of pitch
Derived forms verb intonate1, adjective tonal1, verb tone2, adjective tonic2
3. tone(n = noun.attribute) quality, timber, timbre - (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"
is a kind of sound property
has particulars: harmonic, resonance, color, coloration, colour, colouration, nasality, plangency, resonance, reverberance, ringing, sonority, sonorousness, vibrancy, shrillness, stridence, stridency, register
Derived forms adjective tonal2, verb tone2
4. tone(n = noun.state) feel, feeling, flavor, flavour, look, smell, spirit - 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"
is a kind of ambiance, ambience, atmosphere
has particulars: hollywood, zeitgeist
5. tone(n = noun.attribute) shade, tincture, tint - a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color; "after several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted"
is a kind of color, coloring, colour, colouring
has particulars: mellowness, richness, tinge, undertone
Derived forms verb tone4, verb tone3
6. tone(n = noun.communication) musical note, note - a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound; "the singer held the note too long"
is a kind of musical notation
is a member of musical scale, scale
has particulars: keynote, tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone, subtonic, pedal, pedal point, shake, trill, middle c, chord, passing note, passing tone, semibreve, whole note, half note, minim, crotchet, quarter note, eighth note, quaver, semiquaver, sixteenth note, demisemiquaver, thirty-second note, hemidemisemiquaver, sixty-fourth note, acciaccatura, appoggiatura, grace note, blue note, monotone
Derived form adjective tonic4
7. tone(n = noun.cognition) pure tone - a steady sound without overtones; "they tested his hearing with pure tones of different frequencies"
is a kind of auditory sensation, sound
has particulars: harmonic
Derived form adjective tonal2
8. tone(n = noun.state) tonicity, tonus - the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli; "the doctor tested my tonicity"
is a kind of tautness, tenseness, tension, tensity
has particulars: catatonia, muscle tone, muscular tonus, myotonia, hypertonia, hypertonicity, hypertonus, hypotonia, hypotonicity, hypotonus
Derived forms verb tone5, adjective tonic1
9. tone(n = noun.communication) step, whole step, whole tone - a musical interval of two semitones;
is a kind of interval, musical interval
10. tone(n = noun.attribute) - 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"
is a kind of quality
1. tone(v = verb.communication) chant, intone - utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically; "The students chanted the same slogan over and over again"
is one way to mouth, speak, talk, utter, verbalise, verbalize
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something
2. tone(v = verb.communication) inflect, modulate - vary the pitch of one's speech;
is one way to mouth, speak, talk, utter, verbalise, verbalize
Derived forms noun tone2, noun tone3
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something
3. tone(v = verb.change) - change the color or tone of; "tone a negative"
is one way to color, colour, discolor, discolour
Derived forms noun tone5, noun toner2, noun toner1
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something
4. tone(v = verb.change) - change to a color image; "tone a photographic image"
is one way to color, color in, colorise, colorize, colour, colour in, colourise, colourize
Derived forms noun tone5, noun toner1
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something
5. tone(v = verb.body) strengthen, tone up - give a healthy elasticity to; "Let's tone our muscles"
is one way to exercise, work out
Derived form noun tone8
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something
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. [1913 Webster]
"[Harmony divine] smooths her charming tones." [1913 Webster]
"Tones that with seraph hymns might blend." [1913 Webster]
2. Accent, or inflection or modulation of the voice, as adapted to express emotion or passion. [1913 Webster]
"Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes." [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
4. A sound considered as to pitch; as, the seven tones of the octave; she has good high tones. [1913 Webster]
" 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." [1913 Webster]
" 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." [1913 Webster]
5. 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. [1913 Webster]
" In this sense, the word is metaphorically applied to character or faculties, intellectual and moral; as, his mind has lost its tone." [1913 Webster]
6. Tonicity; as, arterial tone. [1913 Webster]
7. State of mind; temper; mood. [1913 Webster]
"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." [1913 Webster]
"Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing." [1913 Webster]
8. Tenor; character; spirit; drift; as, the tone of his remarks was commendatory. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
11. 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. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
12. Color quality proper; -- called also
"She was dressed in a soft cloth of a gray tone." [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
13. The condition of normal balance of a healthy plant in its relations to light, heat, and moisture. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
1. To utter with an affected tone. [1913 Webster]
2. To give tone, or a particular tone, to; to tune. See Tune,
3. To bring, as a print, to a certain required shade of color, as by chemical treatment. [1913 Webster]
"Its thousand hues toned down harmoniusly." [1913 Webster]
"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." [1913 Webster]
tone, 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.
Idiom:
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.
Derivative:
toneless adj. tonelessly adv. toner n.
Etymology:
ME f. OF ton or L tonus f. Gk tonos tension, tone f. teino stretch
N method, way, manner, wise, gait, form, mode, fashion, tone, guise, modus operandi, MO, procedure, path, road, route, course, line of way, line of road, trajectory, orbit, track, beat, tack, steps, stair, staircase, flight of stairs, ladder, stile, perron, bridge, footbridge, viaduct, pontoon, steppingstone, plank, gangway, drawbridge, pass, ford, ferry, tunnel, pipe, door, gateway, channel, passage, avenue, means of access, approach, adit, artery, lane, loan, alley, aisle, lobby, corridor, back-door, back-stairs, secret passage, covert way, vennel, roadway, pathway, stairway, express, thoroughfare, highway, turnpike, freeway, royal road, coach road, broad highway, King's highway, Queen's highway, beaten track, beaten path, horse road, bridle road, bridle track, bridle path, walk, trottoir, footpath, pavement, flags, sidewalk, crossroad, byroad, bypath, byway, cut, short cut carrefour, private road, occupation road, highways and byways, railroad, railway, tram road, tramway, towpath, causeway, canal, street, speedway, adv, how, in what way, in what manner, by what mode, so, in this way, after this fashion, one way or another, anyhow, somehow or other, by way of, via, in transitu, on the high road to, hae tibi erunt artes.
N state, condition, category, estate, lot, ease, trim, mood, pickle, plight, temper, aspect, dilemma, pass, predicament, constitution, habitude, diathesis, frame, fabric, stamp, set, fit, mold, mould, mode, modality, schesis, form, tone, tenor, turn, trim, guise, fashion, light, complexion, style, character, conditional, modal, formal, structural, organic, conditionally, as the matter stands, as things are, such being the case.
N strength, power, energy, vigor, force, main force, physical force, brute force, spring, elasticity, tone, tension, tonicity, stoutness, lustihood, stamina, nerve, muscle, sinew, thews and sinews, physique, pith, pithiness, virtility, vitality, athletics, athleticism, gymnastics, feats of strength, adamant, steel, iron, oak, heart of oak, iron grip, grit, bone, athlete, gymnast, acrobat, superman, Atlas, Hercules, Antaeus, Samson, Cyclops, Goliath, tower of strength, giant refreshed, strengthening, invigoration, refreshment, refocillation, dynamics, statics, strong, mighty, vigorous, forcible, hard, adamantine, stout, robust, sturdy, hardy, powerful, potent, puissant, valid, resistless, irresistible, invincible, proof against, impregnable, unconquerable, indomitable, dominating, inextinguishable, unquenchable, incontestable, more than a match for, overpowering, overwhelming, all powerful, all sufficient, sovereign, able-bodied, athletic, Herculean, Cyclopean, Atlantean, muscular, brawny, wiry, well-knit, broad-shouldered, sinewy, strapping, stalwart, gigantic, manly, man-like, manful, masculine, male, virile, unweakened, unallayed, unwithered, unshaken, unworn, unexhausted, in full force, in full swing, in the plenitude of power, stubborn, thick-ribbed, made of iron, deep-rooted, strong as a lion, strong as a horse, strong as an ox, strong as brandy, sound as a roach, in fine feather, in high feather, built like a brick shithouse, like a giant refreshed, strongly, by force, by main force, our withers are unwrung, Blut und Eisen, coelitus mihi vires, du fort au diable, en habiles gens, ex vi termini, flecti non frangi, he that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves an, inflexible in faith invincible in arms.
N affections, affect, character, qualities, disposition, nature, spirit, tone, temper, temperament, diathesis, idiosyncrasy, cast of mind, cast of soul, habit of mind, habit of soul, frame of mind, frame of soul, predilection, turn, natural turn of mind, bent, bias, predisposition, proneness, proclivity, propensity, propenseness, propension, propendency, vein, humor, mood, grain, mettle, sympathy, soul, heart, breast, bosom, inner man, heart's core, heart's strings, heart's blood, heart of hearts, bottom of one's heart, penetralia mentis, secret and inmost recesses of the heart, cockles of one's heart, inmost heart, inmost soul, backbone, passion, pervading spirit, ruling passion, master passion, furore, fullness of the heart, heyday of the blood, flesh and blood, flow of soul, energy, fervor, fire, force, affected, characterized, formed, molded, cast, attempered, tempered, framed, predisposed, prone, inclined, having a bias, tinctured with, imbued with, penetrated with, eaten up with, inborn, inbred, ingrained, deep-rooted, ineffaceable, inveterate, pathoscopic, congenital, dyed in the wool, implanted by nature, inherent, in the grain, affective, in one's heart, at heart, heart and soul, affection is a coal that must be cool'd else suffe.
N tendency, aptness, aptitude, proneness, proclivity, bent, turn, tone, bias, set, leaning to, predisposition, inclination, propensity, susceptibility, conatus, nisus, liability, quality, nature, temperament, idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy, cast, vein, grain, humor, mood, drift, conduciveness, conducement, applicability, subservience, tending, conducive, working towards, in a fair way to, calculated to, liable, subservient, useful, subsidiary, for, whither.
N sound, noise, strain, accent, twang, intonation, tone, cadence, sonorousness, audibility, resonance, voice, aspirate, ideophone, rough breathing, acoustics, phonics, phonetics, phonology, phonography, diacoustics, diaphonics, phonetism, sounding, soniferous, sonorous, sonorific, resonant, audible, distinct, stertorous, phonetic, phonic, phonocamptic, a thousand trills and quivering sounds, forensis strepitus.
N concord, accord, harmony, symphony, homologue, agreement, sympathy, empathy, response, union, unison, unity, bonds of harmony, peace, unanimity, league, happy family, rapprochement, reunion, amity, alliance, entente cordiale, good understanding, conciliation, peacemaker, intercessor, mediator, concordant, congenial, agreeing, in accord, harmonious, united, cemented, banded together, allied, friendly, fraternal, conciliatory, at one with, of one mind, at peace, in still water, tranquil, with one voice, in concert with, hand in hand, on one's side, commune periculum concordiam parit, melody concord, melody, rhythm, measure, rhyme, pitch, timbre, intonation, tone, scale, gamut, diapason, diatonic chromatic scale, enharmonic scale, key, clef, chords, modulation, temperament, syncope, syncopation, preparation, suspension, resolution, staff, stave, line, space, brace, bar, rest, appoggiato, appoggiatura, acciaccatura, note, musical note, notes of a scale, sharp, flat, natural, high note, low note, interval, semitone, second, third, fourth, diatessaron, breve, semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver, demisemiquaver, hemidemisemiquaver, sustained note, drone, burden, tonic, key note, leading note, fundamental note, supertonic, mediant, dominant, submediant, subdominant, octave, tetrachord, major key, minor key, major scale, minor scale, major mode, minor mode, passage, phrase, concord, harmony, emmeleia, unison, unisonance, chime, homophony, euphony, euphonism, tonality, consonance, consent, part, harmony, harmonics, thorough-bass, fundamental-bass, counterpoint, faburden, piece of music, composer, harmonist, contrapuntist (musician), harmonious, harmonical, in concord, in tune, in concert, unisonant, concentual, symphonizing, isotonic, homophonous, assonant, ariose, consonant, measured, rhythmical, diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic, melodious, musical, melic, tuneful, tunable, sweet, dulcet, canorous, mellow, mellifluous, soft, clear, clear as a bell, silvery, euphonious, euphonic, euphonical, symphonious, enchanting fine-toned, full-toned, silver-toned, harmoniously, in harmony, as one, the hidden soul of harmony.
N color, hue, tint, tinge, dye, complexion, shade, tincture, cast, livery, coloration, glow, flush, tone, key, pure color, positive color, primary color, primitive complementary color, three primaries, spectrum, chromatic dispersion, broken color, secondary color, tertiary color, local color, coloring, keeping, tone, value, aerial perspective, chromatics, spectrum analysis, spectroscopy, chromatism, chromatography, chromatology, prism, spectroscope, spectrograph, spectrometer, colorimeter (optical instruments), pigment, coloring matter, paint, dye, wash, distemper, stain, medium, mordant, oil paint, colored, colorific, tingent, tinctorial, chromatic, prismatic, full-colored, high-colored, deep-colored, doubly-dyed, polychromatic, chromatogenous, tingible, bright, vivid, intense, deep, fresh, unfaded, rich, gorgeous, gay, gaudy, florid, gay, garish, rainbow-colored, multihued, showy, flaunting, flashy, raw, crude, glaring, flaring, discordant, inharmonious, mellow, pastel, harmonious, pearly, sweet, delicate, tender, refined, color, hue, tint, tinge, dye, complexion, shade, tincture, cast, livery, coloration, glow, flush, tone, key, pure color, positive color, primary color, primitive complementary color, three primaries, spectrum, chromatic dispersion, broken color, secondary color, tertiary color, local color, coloring, keeping, tone, value, aerial perspective, chromatics, spectrum analysis, spectroscopy, chromatism, chromatography, chromatology, prism, spectroscope, spectrograph, spectrometer, colorimeter (optical instruments), pigment, coloring matter, paint, dye, wash, distemper, stain, medium, mordant, oil paint, colored, colorific, tingent, tinctorial, chromatic, prismatic, full-colored, high-colored, deep-colored, doubly-dyed, polychromatic, chromatogenous, tingible, bright, vivid, intense, deep, fresh, unfaded, rich, gorgeous, gay, gaudy, florid, gay, garish, rainbow-colored, multihued, showy, flaunting, flashy, raw, crude, glaring, flaring, discordant, inharmonious, mellow, pastel, harmonious, pearly, sweet, delicate, tender, refined.
N blackness darkness, (want of light), swartliness, lividity, dark color, tone, color, chiaroscuro, nigrification, infuscation, jet, ink, ebony, coal pitch, soot, charcoal, sloe, smut, raven, crow, negro, blackamoor, man of color, nigger, darkie, Ethiop, black, buck, nigger, coon, sambo, lampblack, ivory black, blueblack, writing ink, printing ink, printer's ink, Indian ink, India ink, in mourning.
chest tone, half tone, head tone, key tone, leading tone, muscle tone, partial tone, passing tone, pure tone, quarter tone, tone arm, tone deafness, tone down, tone ending, tone language, tone of voice, tone poem, tone system, tone up, whole tone