# tone

Pronunciation: say "TOHN" US /toʊn/, UK /təʊn/

## Noun

1. The manner in which speech or writing is expressed, shaped by word choice, connotation, emotional coloring, and register.
   - Simple: The feeling that comes through in how someone speaks or writes, like friendly or angry.
   - _The article's mocking tone undermined its otherwise solid reporting._
   - _She softened her tone once she realized the client was upset._
2. The shade or quality of a color, as modified by lightness, darkness, or intensity.
   - Simple: The exact shade of a color, like light blue or dark blue.
   - _The designer chose a muted tone of gray for the office walls._
   - _The photograph's warm tones give the kitchen an inviting feel._
3. The general character, atmosphere, or mood of a situation, place, or event.
   - Simple: The general feeling of a place, event, or situation.
   - _The CEO's opening remarks set an optimistic tone for the conference._
   - _A single rude comment can change the whole tone of a dinner party._
4. The character or quality of a sound, especially the distinctive timbre of a particular instrument or voice.
   - Simple: The special quality of a sound that makes one voice or instrument different from another.
   - _The cello's rich tone filled the concert hall._
   - _Vintage amplifiers are prized for the warm tones they produce._
5. A sound at a specific, steady pitch, such as a single musical note.
   - Simple: A sound at one exact musical level, such as a single note or a beep.
   - _Each key on the piano produces a distinct tone._
   - _The hearing test plays tones at different frequencies through the headphones._
7. The firmness and definition of a muscle or organ.
   - Simple: How firm and strong a muscle looks and feels.
   - _Regular resistance training improves muscle tone without necessarily adding bulk._
   - _Yoga instructors emphasize core tone as much as flexibility._
8. The normal tension and responsiveness of a muscle or tissue to stimulation.
   - Simple: The normal tightness of muscles that keeps them ready to respond.
   - _The physical therapist assessed the patient's muscle tone after the injury._
   - _Healthy nerves help keep a baseline tone in the surrounding tissue._
11. The pitch pattern of a word's pronunciation that distinguishes it in meaning from otherwise identical words, as in Chinese.
   - Simple: How high or low your voice goes on a word, which changes its meaning in some languages.
   - _In Mandarin, 'ma' spoken with a rising tone means 'hemp,' while a falling tone makes it a word for scolding._
   - _Learners of Vietnamese often struggle to hear the difference between its six tones._
9. The pleasing effect of a picture created by the combination of light and shade, or of colors.
   - Simple: The pleasing overall look of a painting made by blending light, shade, and color.
   - _The Old Master achieved a remarkable tone by balancing deep shadows against golden light._
   - _Without harmony among its colors, the canvas would lose all its tone._
13. In the diatonic scale, an interval of a major second, equivalent to two semitones or a whole step.
   - Simple: A distance between two musical notes, like from C up to D.
   - _The major scale rises by a tone from its first note to its second._
   - _Transposing the melody up a tone moved it from C major to D major._
14. The quality of being respectable or admirable, especially as raised or lowered by people's behavior.
   - Simple: The respectable or classy quality of a place, event, or group.
   - _The new café raised the tone of a rather shabby street._
   - _He felt that swearing in the meeting lowered the tone considerably._
15. The condition of a body or organ in which it is healthy and works with full vigor.
   - Simple: A healthy, strong condition of the body or its parts.
   - _The doctor praised the athlete's overall tone after months of recovery._
   - _Good circulation and rest help maintain the tone of every organ._
16. A recitational melody used in Gregorian chant for singing a text.
   - Simple: A simple sung melody used for chanting prayers or sacred words.
   - _The choir recited the psalm on a solemn tone handed down for centuries._
   - _In the abbey, each verse rose and fell along a single chant tone._
17. A gun, especially a handgun, in African American Vernacular slang. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A gun, especially a handgun.
   - _He swore he never carried a tone, whatever the rumors said._
   - _Word on the block was that he had stashed a tone nearby._

## Verb

6. To make something firmer, especially to firm and strengthen muscles through exercise.
   - Simple: To make something firmer, especially the muscles of the body.
   - _Pilates routines tone the deep abdominal muscles that sit-ups often miss._
   - _He toned his legs by cycling to work every day._
12. To change or adjust the color of something, such as a photograph, print, or hair.
   - Simple: To change the color of something, like a photo or hair.
   - _Photographers tone black-and-white prints to give them a sepia cast._
   - _The stylist toned her highlights to neutralize the brassy yellow._
10. To give a particular quality, character, or mood to something.
   - Simple: To give something a certain feeling or quality.
   - _Skilled negotiators tone their proposals to match each client's expectations._
   - _A quiet melancholy toned the final chapters of the memoir._
18. To utter something with an affected, artificial tone of voice.
   - Simple: To say words in a fake, showy voice.
   - _He would tone his greetings with such false warmth that guests grew suspicious._
   - _The preacher toned each phrase in a mournful, drawn-out manner._

## Pronoun

21. In dialect use, the one of a pair of people or things, set against the other; it follows the, as in the tone and the tother. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: In some local ways of speaking, the one of two people or things, not the other.
   - _Two letters came that morning: the tone was from his mother and the tother was from the bank._
   - _The twins looked so alike in the dim barn that she couldn't tell the tone from the tother._

## Noun

19. A person's state of mind, temper, or mood. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A person's mood or state of mind.
20. A whining or artificial manner of speaking, drawn out with a measured rhythm and a regular rise and fall of the voice. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A whining, fake way of speaking with a sing-song rise and fall.
   - _The street preacher fell into a mournful tone, stretching out each syllable._
   - _His prayers were delivered in that artificial tone old congregations once favored._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–20** — From Middle English "ton, tone," from Latin "tonus" ("sound, tone"), possibly by way of Old French "ton," and ultimately from Ancient Greek "tónos" ("strain, tension, pitch"), from "teínō" ("I stretch"). It is a doublet of tune, ton, tonos, and tunus.
**Meaning 21** — From Middle English "tone, ton, toon," resulting from the incorrect division of "thet one" ("the/that one"); compare Scots "tane" in "the tane."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/tone (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).