释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024tone /toʊn/USA pronunciation n., v., toned, ton•ing. n. - any sound thought of in terms of its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc.:[countable]shrill tones.
- [countable] quality of sound.
- a particular quality or intonation of the voice:[countable]From the tone of her voice I could tell she was very angry.
- Linguistics, Phonetics a movement in pitch that makes for a difference in meaning between two words that are otherwise composed of the same sounds, as in Chinese:[countable]That language has five different tones that must be learned.
- Music and Dance[countable]a distance between musical notes that equals two half steps;
a whole step. - Fine Art[countable] a quality of color;
a tint, hue, or shade. - Physiology the normal, healthy condition of the organs, muscles, or tissues of the body:[uncountable]fine muscle tone after weeks of exercise.
- Literature a manner, as of writing or speech:[uncountable]The tone of the meeting was tense.
- general character, as of manners or outlook:[uncountable]the liberal tone of the 1960's.
- style, distinction, or respectability:[countable* usually singular]Would the tone of the neighborhood change if a prison were built there?
v. - to give off a sound with a particular tone:[no object]The bells toned softly in the distance.
- to make strong or properly healthy:[~ + object]to tone the body with exercise.
- tone down, to (cause to) become softened;
to (cause to) be reduced in force: [~ + down + object]to tone down the harsh colors.[~ + object + down]to tone the harsh colors down by using different lighting. - tone up, to (cause to) gain in tone or strength: [no object]Her body toned up with all her exercise.[~ + up + object]Exercise will tone up the body.[~ + object + up]to tone the body up.
tone•less, adj. See -ton-. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024tone (tōn),USA pronunciation n., v., toned, ton•ing. n. - any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc.:shrill tones.
- quality or character of sound.
- vocal sound;
the sound made by vibrating muscular bands in the larynx. - a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc.:a tone of command.
- an accent peculiar to a person, people, locality, etc., or a characteristic mode of sounding words in speech.
- stress of voice on a syllable of a word.
- [Ling.]a musical pitch or movement in pitch serving to distinguish two words otherwise composed of the same sounds, as in Chinese.
- [Music.]
- a musical sound of definite pitch, consisting of several relatively simple constituents called partial tones, the lowest of which is called the fundamental tone and the others harmonics or overtones.
- an interval equivalent to two semitones;
a whole tone; a whole step. - any of the nine melodies or tunes to which Gregorian plainsong psalms are sung.
- a quality of color with reference to the degree of absorption or reflection of light;
a tint or shade; value. - that distinctive quality by which colors differ from one another in addition to their differences indicated by chroma, tint, shade;
a slight modification of a given color; hue:green with a yellowish tone. - [Art.]the prevailing effect of harmony of color and values.
- [Physiol.]
- the normal state of tension or responsiveness of the organs or tissues of the body.
- that state of the body or of an organ in which all its functions are performed with healthy vigor.
- normal sensitivity to stimulation.
- a normal healthy mental condition.
- a particular mental state or disposition;
spirit, character, or tenor. - a particular style or manner, as of writing or speech;
mood:the macabre tone of Poe's stories. - prevailing character or style, as of manners, morals, or philosophical outlook:the liberal tone of the 1960's.
- style, distinction, or elegance.
v.t. - to sound with a particular tone.
- to give the proper tone to (a musical instrument).
- to modify the tone or general coloring of.
- to give the desired tone to (a painting, drawing, etc.).
- [Photog.]to change the color of (a print), esp. by chemical means.
- to render as specified in tone or coloring.
- to modify the tone or character of.
- to give or restore physical or mental tone to.
v.i. - to take on a particular tone;
assume color or tint. - tone down:
- to become or cause to become softened or moderated:The newspaper toned down its attack.
- [Painting.]to make (a color) less intense in hue;
subdue.
- tone up:
- to give a higher or stronger tone to.
- to gain or cause to gain in tone or strength:toning up little-used muscles.
- tone with or in with, to harmonize in tone or coloring;
blend:The painting tones with the room.
- Greek tónos strain, tone, mode, literally, a stretching, akin to teínein to stretch
- Latin tonus
- Middle English (noun, nominal) 1275–1325
tone ′less, adj. tone ′less•ly, adv. tone ′less•ness, n. - 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged See sound1.
- 15.See corresponding entry in Unabridged spirit, quality, temper.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: tone /təʊn/ n - sound with reference to quality, pitch, or volume
- short for tone colour
- US Canadian
another word for note - an interval of a major second; whole tone
Also called: Gregorian tone any of several plainsong melodies or other chants used in the singing of psalms- any of the pitch levels or pitch contours at which a syllable may be pronounced, such as high tone, falling tone, etc
- the quality or character of a sound: a nervous tone of voice
- general aspect, quality, or style: I didn't like the tone of his speech
- high quality or style: to lower the tone of a place
- the quality of a given colour, as modified by mixture with white or black; shade; tint: a tone of red
- the normal tension of a muscle at rest
- the natural firmness of the tissues and normal functioning of bodily organs in health
- the overall effect of the colour values and gradations of light and dark in a picture
- a colour or shade of colour, including black or grey, of a particular area on a negative or positive that can be distinguished from surrounding lighter or darker areas
vb - (intransitive) often followed by with: to be of a matching or similar tone (to)
- (transitive) to give a tone to or correct the tone of
- (transitive) to soften or change the colour of the tones of (a photographic image) by chemical means
- an archaic word for intone
See also tone down, tone upEtymology: 14th Century: from Latin tonus, from Greek tonos tension, tone, from teinein to stretch |