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tune

Pronunciation: /tjuːn/
Translate tune | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of tune

noun

  • a melody, especially one which characterizes a certain piece of music:she left the theatre humming a cheerful tune

verb

[with object]
  • 1adjust (a musical instrument) to the correct or uniform pitch:he tuned the harp for me [no object]:we could hear the band tuning up
  • 2adjust (a receiver circuit such as a radio or television) to the frequency of the required signal:the radio was tuned to the BBC
  • [no object] (tune in) watch or listen to a television or radio broadcast: tune in next week and find out!
  • (tune something out) exclude a sound or transmission of a particular frequency: certain tones would be muted or tuned out entirely
  • 3adjust (an engine) or balance (mechanical parts) so that a vehicle runs smoothly and efficiently: the suspension was tuned for a softer ride
  • 4adjust or adapt (something) to a particular purpose or situation:the animals are finely tuned to life in the desert
  • 5 [with two objects] South African informal tell (something) to (someone):he starts tuning you stories about his youth
    [transferred use of tune 'adjust, put right']

Phrases

call the tune

see call.

change one's tune

see change.

in (or out of) tune

with correct (or incorrect) pitch or intonation: they couldn’t sing a note in tune
(of a motor engine or other machine) properly (or poorly) adjusted.
in (or not in) agreement or harmony:he was out of tune with conventional belief

there's many a good tune played on an old fiddle

proverb someone’s abilities do not depend on their being young.

to the tune of

informal amounting to or involving (a specified considerable sum):he was in debt to the tune of forty thousand pounds

Phrasal Verbs

be tuned in

informal be sensitive to or able to understand something:it’s important to be tuned in to your child’s needs

tune into

become sensitive to:you must tune into the needs of loved ones

tune out

informal stop listening or paying attention:if you’re in a boring lecture you can tune out

Derivatives

tunable

(also tuneable) adjective

Origin:

late Middle English: unexplained alteration of tone. The verb is first recorded (late 15th century) in the sense 'celebrate in music, sing'

tune in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of tune in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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