tone

• n. 语气；色调；音调；音色
• vt. 增强；用某种调子说
• vi. 颜色调和；呈现悦目色调
• n. (Tone)人名；(罗、塞、乍)托内；(英)托恩

来自拉丁语 tonus,声音，单调，来自希腊语 teinein,延伸，延展，来自 PIE*ten,延伸，延展， 词源同 tenure,extend,tune.引申诸相关词义，并用于指皮肤柔韧性等。

1. the quality of a person's voice;

"he began in a conversational tone"

"he spoke in a nervous tone of voice"

2. (linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages;

"the Beijing dialect uses four tones"

3. (music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound);

"the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely"

"the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet"

4. the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;

"the feel of the city excited him"

"a clergyman improved the tone of the meeting"

"it had the smell of treason"

5. a quality of a given color that differs slightly from a primary color;

"after several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted"

6. a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound;

"the singer held the note too long"

7. a steady sound without overtones;

"they tested his hearing with pure tones of different frequencies"

8. the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli;

"the doctor tested my tonicity"

9. a musical interval of two semitones

10. the quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author;

"the general tone of articles appearing in the newspapers is that the government should withdraw"

"from the tone of her behavior I gathered that I had outstayed my welcome"

tone

tone: [14] English acquired tone via Old French ton and Latin tonus from Greek tónos ‘stretching, tension’, hence ‘sound’. This in turn went back to the Indo-European base *ton-, *ten- ‘stretch’, which also produced English tend, tense, thin, etc. The semantic transference from ‘tension’ to ‘sound’ may have arisen from the notion of tightening the strings of a musical instrument, but it could also be due to association with another Indo-European base *ton-, meaning ‘resound’ (source of English thunder). The derivative tonic [17] comes ultimately from Greek tonikós. Tune is an unexplained variant of tone.
=> tend, tense, tenuous, thin, tune

tone (n.)

mid-14c., "musical sound or note," from Old French ton "musical sound, speech, words" (13c.) and directly from Latin tonus "a sound, tone, accent," literally "stretching" (in Medieval Latin, a term peculiar to music), from Greek tonos "vocal pitch, raising of voice, accent, key in music," originally "a stretching, tightening, taut string," related to teinein "to stretch" (see tenet). Sense of "manner of speaking" is from c. 1600. First reference to firmness of body is from 1660s. As "prevailing state of manners" from 1735; as "style in speaking or writing which reveals attitude" from 1765. Tone-deaf is from 1880; tone-poem from 1845.

tone (v.)

"to impart tone to," 1811, from tone (n.). Related: Toned; toning. To tone (something) down originally was in painting (1831); general sense of "reduce, moderate" is by 1847.

In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower.

出自-2016年12月阅读原文

Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the sleeping participants with a mix of regularly timed of the same tone and irregular beeps of a different tone during the night.

2017年12月四级真题（第一套）阅读 Section C

One prevalent quality we have found in teens' statements about themselves, their friends and their families is a strikingly positive emotional tone.

出自-2016年6月阅读原文

Behind the differences in sex, skin tones and mother tongues, there are common attitudes, expectations and ambitions which risk creating a set of clones among the business leaders of the future.

出自-2011年6月阅读原文

But Delia was careful not to adopt the defensive tone.

出自-2012年12月听力原文

Because it's such a pity if you start off on a bright tone on a story and suddenly realize you are talking about some people having been killed in a road crash.

2015年12月六级真题（第一套）听力 Section A

Studies dating back to the 1930's indicate that laughter relaxes muscles, decreasing muscle tone for up to 45 minutes after the laugh dies down.

2011年考研真题（英语一）完形填空 Section Ⅰ

That might seem rather an obscure point, but it sets the tone for an exhibition that contains a lot of black-and-white photographs and relatively few natural objects.

2014年考研真题（英语二）阅读理解 Section Ⅱ

speaking in hushed/low/clipped/measured, etc. tones

以压低、低沉、短促、缓慢谨慎等的语调讲话

牛津词典

a conversational tone

交谈的语气

牛津词典

a tone of surprise

惊奇的口气

牛津词典

Don't speak to me in that tone of voice (= in that unpleasant way) .

别用那种口吻跟我讲话。

牛津词典

There's no need to take that tone with me─it's not my fault we're late.

不必那样跟我拿腔拿调的。我们来晚了，可不是我的错。

牛津词典

The overall tone of the book is gently nostalgic.

这本书整体格调是温情的怀旧。

牛津词典

She set the tone for the meeting with a firm statement of company policy.

她坚定地说明了公司的方针，为会议定下了调子。

牛津词典

Trust you to lower the tone of the conversation (= for example by telling a rude joke) .

管保你会降低谈话的格调（如讲粗俗的笑话）。

牛津词典

The article was moderate in tone and presented both sides of the case.

这篇文章的基调是温和的，对争论双方的意见都予以表达。

牛津词典

the full rich tone of the trumpet

小号饱满嘹亮的音色

牛津词典

the volume and tone controls on a car stereo

汽车立体声系统音量和音质的控制装置

牛津词典

a carpet in warm tones of brown and orange

棕色和橘黄色的暖色调地毯

牛津词典

how to improve your muscle/skin tone

如何使肌肉发达 / 皮肤柔韧

牛津词典

Cross could hear him speaking in low tones to Sarah.

克罗斯听得到他对萨拉低声说话。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...the clear tone of the bell.

清亮的铃音

柯林斯高阶英语词典

I still didn't like his tone of voice...

我还是不喜欢他说话的语气。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Suddenly he laughed again, this time with a cold, sharp tone…

突然他又笑了，这次笑得冷漠、刺耳。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The spokesman said the tone of the letter was very friendly...

发言人说信函的语气非常友好。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

His comments to reporters were conciliatory in tone...

他对记者们的讲话带着安抚的口吻。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The high tone of the occasion was assured by the presence of a dozen wealthy patrons…

十几位富有资助人的出席确保了仪式的高格调。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The service desk at the entrance, with its friendly, helpful and efficient staff, sets the tone for the rest of the store.

入口处设有服务台，加之友好、热心与高效的服务人员，营造了这家商店的整体氛围。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...stretch exercises that aim to improve muscle tone...

旨在提高肌肉结实度的伸展锻炼

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Keeping your muscles strong and in tone helps you to avoid back problems.

保持肌肉强健有力有助于避免背部疾病。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

This movement lengthens your spine and tones the spinal nerves...

这一动作舒展脊椎，使脊神经更加强健。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Try these toning exercises before you start the day.

在开始一天的活动之前，试着做做这些强身健体的体操。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Each brick also varies slightly in tone, texture and size...

每块砖在色调、质地与大小上也都略有不同。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

I'm a cheery sort of person, so I like cheerful tones.

我是个活泼类型的人，因此喜欢明亮的色调。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Princess Margaret toned with her in a turquoise print dress.

玛格丽特公主那条青绿色的印花裙子与她很相配。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Councillors say plastic-framed windows lower the tone of the neighbourhood.

市政会委员说塑料框架的窗户让这个社区掉份儿了。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

When Ken Hom wrote his first book for the BBC he was asked to tone down the spices and garlic in his recipes.

当肯·霍姆为英国广播公司写第一本书的时候，他被要求在菜谱里少用些香料和大蒜。

柯林斯高阶英语词典