/ təʊn; NAmE toʊn/ noun , verb
■ noun
OF VOICE
1.
[ C ] the quality of sb's voice, especially expressing a particular emotion :
speaking in hushed / low / clipped / measured, etc. tones
a conversational tone
a tone of surprise
Don't speak to me in that tone of voice (= in that unpleasant way) .
There's no need to take that tone with me—it's not my fault we're late.
CHARACTER / ATMOSPHERE
2.
[ sing. ] the general character and attitude of sth such as a piece of writing, or the atmosphere of an event :
The overall tone of the book is gently nostalgic.
She set the tone for the meeting with a firm statement of company policy.
Trust you to lower the tone of the conversation (= for example by telling a rude joke) .
The article was moderate in tone and presented both sides of the case.
OF SOUND
3.
[ C ] the quality of a sound, especially the sound of a musical instrument or one produced by electronic equipment :
the full rich tone of the trumpet
the volume and tone controls on a car stereo
COLOUR
4.
[ C ] a shade of a colour :
a carpet in warm tones of brown and orange
➡ note at colour
OF MUSCLES / SKIN
5.
[ U ] how strong and firm your muscles or skin are :
how to improve your muscle / skin tone
ON TELEPHONE
6.
[ C ] a sound heard on a telephone line :
( BrE )
the dialling tone
( NAmE )
the dial tone
Please speak after the tone (= for example as an instruction on an answering machine) .
IN MUSIC
7.
( BrE ) ( US ˈwhole step ) [ C ] one of the five longer intervals in a musical scale , for example the interval between C and D or between E and F♯
—compare semitone , step noun (10)
PHONETICS
8.
[ C ] the pitch (= how high or low a sound is) of a syllable in speaking :
a rising / falling tone
9.
a particular pitch pattern on a syllable in languages such as Chinese, that can be used to distinguish different meanings
-TONED
10.
(in adjectives) having the type of tone mentioned :
a bright-toned soprano
olive-toned skin
■ verb
MUSCLES / SKIN
1.
[ vn ] tone sth (up) to make your muscles, skin, etc. firmer and stronger :
Massage will help to tone up loose skin under the chin.
a beautifully toned body
COLOUR
2.
[ v ] tone (in) (with sth) ( BrE ) to match the colour of sth :
The beige of his jacket toned (in) with the cream shirt.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- tone sth down
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French ton , from Latin tonus , from Greek tonos tension, tone, from teinein to stretch.