noun / verb
tone
TOHN/təʊn/
The distinctive quality of a sound.
The same greeting sounds different in a warm tone and a stern one.
Etymology
Greek tonos connects a taut string with musical pitch. From the qualities of a sound, tone came to mean the manner of speaking that conveys feeling, then the attitude revealed in speech or writing.
In context
The writing of the report on Kuwait was characterised by a blase tone and an attitude of can we more or less make this work
More examples
- Her voice has a clear, bell-like tone.
- Different woods give violins different tones.
- Turning this knob changes the tone of the speakers.
Forms
tone · tones · toned · toning
tonal adjective — Relating to musical tones or sound.