tone

noun

• 1a musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength:the piano tone appears monochrome or lacking in warmth
• a modulation of the voice expressing a particular feeling or mood:a firm tone of voice
• a musical note, warble, or other sound used as a particular signal on a telephone or answering machine.

• 2the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.:trust her to lower the tone of the conversation there was a general tone of ill-concealed glee in the reporting
• informal an atmosphere of respectability or class:they don’t feel he gives the place tone

• 3 Phonetics (in some languages, such as Chinese) a particular pitch pattern on a syllable used to make semantic distinctions.
• Phonetics (in some languages, such as English) intonation on a word or phrase used to add functional meaning.

• 4 (also whole tone) a basic interval in classical Western music, equal to two semitones and separating, for example, the first and second notes of an ordinary scale (such as C and D, or E and F sharp); a major second or whole step.

• 5the particular quality of brightness, deepness, or hue of a tint or shade of a color:an attractive color that is even in tone and texture stained glass in vivid tones of red and blue
• the general effect of color or of light and shade in a picture.
• a slight degree of difference in the intensity of a color.

• 6 (also muscle tone) the normal level of firmness or slight contraction in a resting muscle.
• Physiology the normal level of activity in a nerve fiber.

verb

• 1give greater strength or firmness to (the body or a part of it):exercise tones up the muscles
• [no object] (tone up) (of a muscle or bodily part) became stronger or firmer.

• 2 [no object] (tone with) harmonize with (something) in terms of color:the rich orange color of the wood tones beautifully with the yellow roses

• 3 Photography give (a monochrome picture) an altered color in finishing by means of a chemical solution.