ETYM French ton, Latin tonus a sound, tone, from Greek tonos a stretching, straining, raising of the voice, pitch, accent, measure or meter, in pl., modes or keys differing in pitch.
In music, the quality of sound—for instance, different strings of a violin may be able to sound the same note (pitch) given certain fingerings, but each string has a different tone. A tone can also be a plainsong melody; it is also the US term (or wholetone) for a note, an interval consisting of two semitones, for example the interval of C–D.
1. A steady sound without overtones; SYN. pure tone.
2. The quality of a person's voice; SYN. tone of voice.
3. The quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author.
4. A musical interval of two semitones; SYN. whole tone, step, whole step.
5. (Linguistics) A pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages.

1. To change the color or tone of.
2. To change to a color image; of photography.
3. To give a healthy elasticity to; SYN. tone up, strengthen.

(Theobald) (1763-1798) Irish nationalist, prominent in the revolutionary society of the United Irishmen. In 1798 he accompanied the French invasion of Ireland, was captured and condemned to death, but slit his own throat in prison.

1. A particular tint of a color. Also called: shade, value. See also brightness, color model.
2. One sound or signal of a particular frequency.