SG Heritage Dictionary

Tone [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. Sound, or modification of sound; any impulse or vibration of the air which is perceptible by the ear; as a low tone high tone or loud tone; a grave tone; an acute tone; a sweet tone; a harsh tone

2. Accent; or rather, a particular inflection of the voice, adapted to express emotion or passion; a rhetorical sense of the word.

3. Eager his tone and ardent were his eyes.

4. A whining sound; a whine; a kind of mournful strain of voice; as, children often read with a tone

5. An affected sound in speaking.

6. In music, an interval of sound; as, the difference between the diapente and diatessaron, is a tone Of tones there are two kinds, major and minor. The tone major is in the ratio of 8 to 9, which results from the difference between the fourth and fifth. The tone minor is as 9 to 10, resulting from the difference between the minor third and the fourth.

7. The tone of an instrument, is its peculiar sound with regard to softness, evenness and the like.

8. In medicine, that state of organization in a body, in which the animal functions are healthy and performed with due vigor. tone in its primary signification, is tension, and tension is the primary signification of strength. Hence its application to the natural healthy state of animal organs. tone therefore in medicine, is the strength and activity of the organs, from which proceed healthy functions. So we say, the body is in a sound state, the health is sound or firm.

Tone [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. To utter with an affected tone

2. To tune. [ See Tune .]

Tone [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. Sound, or the character of a sound, or a sound considered as of this or that character; as, a low, high, loud, grave, acute, sweet, or harsh tone.

2. Accent, or inflection or modulation of the voice, as adapted to express emotion or passion.

3. A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm ahd a regular rise and fall of the voice; as, children often read with a tone.

4. A sound considered as to pitch; as, the seven tones of the octave; she has good high tones.

5. The larger kind of interval between contiguous sounds in the diatonic scale, the smaller being called a semitone as, a whole tone too flat; raise it a tone.

6. The peculiar quality of sound in any voice or instrument; as, a rich tone, a reedy tone.

7. A mode or tune or plain chant; as, the Gregorian tones.

8. That state of a body, or of any of its organs or parts, in which the animal functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.

9. Tonicity; as, arterial tone.

10. State of mind; temper; mood.

11. Tenor; character; spirit; drift; as, the tone of his remarks was commendatory.

12. General or prevailing character or style, as of morals, manners, or sentiment, in reference to a scale of high and low; as, a low tone of morals; a tone of elevated sentiment; a courtly tone of manners.

13. The general effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, together with color in the case of a painting; -- commonly used in a favorable sense; as, this picture has tone.

Tone [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. To utter with an affected tone.

2. To give tone, or a particular tone, to; to tune. See Tune, v. t.

3. To bring, as a print, to a certain required shade of color, as by chemical treatment.

Tone-syllable [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1828

An accented syllable.

Toned [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Having a tone; used in composition; as high-toned; sweet-toned.

Toned [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

Having (such) a tone; -- chiefly used in composition; as, high-toned; sweet-toned.

Toned [Imperfect tense and past participle] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Tone

Toneless [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Having no tone; unmusical.

Toneless [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

Having no tone; unmusical.