tone

/ˈtōn/

Middle English ton, tone "musical sound or note, pitch," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French ton, tun, toen, borrowed from Latin tonus "strain, tension, musical pitch, note," borrowed from Greek tónos "stretching, tightening, exertion, pitch of the voice, accent in a syllable," nominal derivative from the base of teínein "to stretch, extend"

noun

  1. vocal or musical sound of a specific quality; especially : musical sound with respect to timbre and manner of expression

  2. a sound of definite pitch and vibration

  3. whole step

spoke in low tones

verb

  1. to soften or reduce in intensity, color, appearance, or sound : mellow —often used with down

  2. to impart tone to : strengthen; especially : to increase the firmness, strength, or tautness of (a part of the body)

  3. to change the normal silver image of (something, such as a photographic print) into a colored image

biographical name

  1. (Theobald) Wolfe 1763—1798 Irish revolutionary