n.
Pronunciation: ' t ō n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French tun, ton, from Latin tonus tension, tone, from Greek tonos, literally, act of stretching; akin to Greek teinein to stretch ― more at THIN
Date: 14th century
1 : vocal or musical sound of a specific quality <spoke in low tone s > <masculine tone s > especially : musical sound with respect to timbre and manner of expression
2 a : a sound of definite pitch and vibration b : WHOLE STEP
3 : accent or inflection expressive of a mood or emotion
4 : the pitch of a word often used to express differences of meaning
5 : a particular pitch or change of pitch constituting an element in the intonation of a phrase or sentence <high tone > <low tone > <mid tone > <low-rising tone > <falling tone >
6 : style or manner of expression in speaking or writing <seemed wise to adopt a conciliatory tone >
7 a (1) : color quality or value (2) : a tint or shade of color b : the color that appreciably modifies a hue or white or black <gray walls of greenish tone >
8 : the effect in painting of light and shade together with color
9 a : 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 b : normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli specifically : muscular tonus
10 a : healthy elasticity : RESILIENCY b : general character, quality, or trend <a city's upbeat tone > c : frame of mind : MOOD