I. ˈt(y)ün noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, alteration of ton, tone — more at tone
1.
a. archaic : quality of sound : tone
thou hast a tongue: come, let us hear its tune — Horace Smith
b. : manner of utterance : intonation
the straightforward tune … of early English poetry — Louis Untermeyer
specifically : phonetic modulation
differences … are probably more in language tune than in actual pronunciation — A.J.Tresidder
c. : a general attitude or bearing : approach
when the tables are turned … changes his tune — A.J.Toynbee
so struck by facts he was … collecting that he altered his tune — C.L.Boltz
d. archaic : a frame of mind : mood
being in … bad tune for a fête — Thomas Moore
2.
a. : a musical composition
play a tune on the piano
b. : an easily remembered musical air, often being the uppermost part especially of a short or simple construction (as of a ballad or psalm or of some operatic arias) : melody
dance tune
to the tune of “America”
c. : a dominant course or theme
stand the expense and not insist upon calling the tune — I.I.Rabi
the alluring tune of the new Pied Piper — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin
d. : a contrapuntal activity : accompaniment
glowing speeches, delivered to the tune of more cheers — Phoenix Flame
3.
a. : correct musical pitch or consonance
a competent musician knows with certainty when an instrument is out of tune — Clive Bell
b. : a harmonious relationship : agreement , concord
drawings more in tune with the text — New York Times Book Review
a portfolio of stocks … out of tune with present market conditions — Outlook
I was out of tune with everything and everyone about me — Anne. S. Mehdevi
c. : resonance 1b(2)
4. : a scale of magnitude : amount , extent
technical difficulties … dehumanize us to such a tune as to make us indifferent — J.C.Powys
— usually used in the phrase to the tune of
subsidized Japan to the tune of two billion dollars in five years — Atlantic
custom-made to the tune of $40 or $50 apiece — American Fabrics
turns out electricity from coal to the tune of 150,000 kilowatts — Newsweek
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
1. : to produce musical tones : sing , hum
a breeze tuning through the frigid silence — John Galsworthy
my children could tune before they could speak — A.B.Evans
2. : to become attuned or receptive
develop new attitudes to their tasks as they sensitively tune to the requirements of their responsibilities — C.C.Brown
that other part of his mind tuning in and clocking up the platitude — James Jones
3. : to adjust a receiver with respect to resonance
tune in to a program
tune about for good music — E.C.Aldrich
by tuning in on just one station of known location, the direction from the direction finder to the station can be determined — Introduction to Electronics
transitive verb
1.
a. : to adjust in musical pitch or cause to be in tune
tune a violin
tune it up a minor or a major third — Deems Taylor
b. archaic
(1) : to express in song
little birds that tune their morning's joy — Shakespeare
(2) : to lead off (as a hymn)
c. : to give a musical intonation to
he tuned a marvellous prose — Edmund Wilson
2. archaic : to influence in a desired direction
the most effective way … of tuning public opinion — J.H.Blunt
3.
a. : to bring into harmony : attune
the colors … are not perfectly tuned to each other — Mildred J. O'Brien
she was not tuned to a mood of self-reproach — Herman Wouk
the stallion's sense is very keen … he knows instantly whether his man is tuned in to him — Henry Wyumalen
b. : to make responsive : adapt
whether the touch is firm or light it can be tuned to the operator's rhythm — Print
c.
(1) : to adjust for precise functioning : put in first-class working order
has good plugs and points and has just recently been tuned — Phil Gresho
— often used with up
tune up a plane on the flight line
(2) : to put in readiness : key
we were tautly tuned for it — F.A.Perry
— often used with up
was pretty well tuned up for the challenge — Norman Cousins
4.
a. : to adjust with respect to resonance
a means of tuning the electrodes is usually provided … to facilitate voltage adjustment — F.W.Curtis
tune a television set to the local channel
tune in a program
tune out static
a hearing aid … that automatically tunes down loud and harsh noises — Newsweek
b. : to establish radio contact with
tune in a directional beacon
III. transitive verb
1. : to make more precise, intense, or effective
2. : to adjust the output of (a device) to a chosen frequency or range of frequencies ; also : to alter the frequency of (radiation)