# tune

Pronunciation: US say "TOON" /tun/; UK say "TYOON" /tjuːn/

## Noun

1. A succession of musical notes that together form a recognizable melody.
   - Simple: A series of musical notes that sound nice when played in order.
   - _He couldn't get the catchy tune out of his head all day._
   - _The folk tunes of that region share a distinctive rising melody._
2. A musical work, either a song or a short piece in another form.
   - Simple: A short piece of music, or a song.
   - _The DJ mixed several upbeat tunes into one continuous set._
   - _She recorded a new tune for the film's closing credits._
6. The state or condition of being correctly tuned, with notes at their proper pitch.
   - Simple: The state of playing the right notes and sounding correct.
   - _After the long flight, the harp had drifted out of tune._
   - _The choir stayed perfectly in tune throughout the performance._
7. The act of tuning or carrying out maintenance. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A quick adjustment or fix to make something work better.
   - _The mechanic recommended a full tune after the cold winter._
   - _A regular tune keeps the old engine running reliably._

## Verb

3. To bring the notes of a musical instrument to their proper pitches.
   - Simple: To set a musical instrument so it plays the right notes.
   - _Orchestra members tune their instruments to the oboe's A before each concert._
   - _She tuned the old violin patiently, adjusting one peg at a time._
4. To set a radio or television to the frequency of the channel one wants to receive.
   - Simple: To set a radio or TV to get the channel you want.
   - _Listeners can tune their receivers to the new FM frequency starting Monday._
   - _She tuned the shortwave set to a distant foreign broadcast late at night._
5. To make fine adjustments to something, especially a machine or electrical device, so that it performs at its best.
   - Simple: To adjust a machine so that it works as well as possible.
   - _Technicians tune the server's settings to get the best possible performance._
   - _She tuned the laptop's power profile to extend the battery life._
8. To attune one's senses, attention, or other faculties to a particular thing, or focus them on it.
   - Simple: To get your senses or attention ready to notice a certain thing.
   - _Experienced editors tune their eyes to catch the smallest errors._
   - _He had tuned his senses to the rhythm of the night shift._
9. To make something more precise, intense, or effective, putting it into a proper state.
   - Simple: To make something work better or more exactly.
   - _Engineers tune the algorithm to respond faster under heavy load._
   - _She tuned her presentation until each point landed perfectly._
10. To attune; to bring into harmony or adapt in musical style.
   - Simple: To make things fit together so they feel in harmony.
   - _Skilled speakers tune their tone to the feelings of the audience._
   - _The composer tuned the score to match the film's somber mood._
11. To set written words to music so that they can be sung.
   - Simple: To put music to words so they can be sung.
   - _He tuned the ancient hymn lyrics to a haunting new arrangement._
   - _Songwriters tune their lyrics to melodies that fit the mood._
12. To give something a particular tone, mood, or character.
   - Simple: To give something a certain feeling or mood.
   - _She tuned her speech to the somber occasion._
   - _Good editors tune each chapter to the emotional beat of the story._
15. To behave impudently toward someone; to answer back with cheek. *(slang, South Africa)*
   - Simple: To talk back to someone in a rude or cheeky way.
   - _She tuned her grandmother and immediately felt ashamed of herself._
   - _If you tune the coach again, you will be off the team._
16. To adjust the parameters of singing-voice synthesis software, such as VOCALOID, to refine vocal technique or make the voice sound more human. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To adjust the settings of singing software so a computer voice sounds more human.
   - _He tuned the VOCALOID track for weeks before releasing it._
   - _Producers tune these synthetic voices to strip away the robotic edge._

## Interjection

14. An exclamation expressing enthusiasm or approval for a song that's playing. *(slang, UK)*
   - Simple: A shout of approval when a great song comes on.
   - _Tune! Crank the volume right up!_
   - _The opening chords hit and someone in the back shouted 'Tune!'_

## Verb

13. To make music with the voice, producing melody or harmony. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To sing sweetly, with melody and harmony.

## Noun

17. A sound, note, or tone. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A sound, note, or tone that you can hear.
18. Order, harmony, and agreement among things or people. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A state when things are in order and work well together.
19. A person's temper or frame of mind. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Someone's mood or state of mind.
   - _The master returned in a foul tune and snapped at the servants._
   - _Finding him in a generous tune, she asked for the afternoon off._

## Origin

This comes from Middle English "tune," an unexplained variant of "tone," from Old French "ton," from Latin "tonus," from Ancient Greek "tónos" ("a tone"). It is a doublet of tone, ton, and tonus.

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