modulate

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: mod=u=late

CIDE DICTIONARY

modulate, v. t. [L. modulatus, p. p. of modulari to measure, to modulate, fr. modulus a small measure, meter, melody, dim. of modus. See Mode.].

•  To form, as sound, to a certain key, or to a certain portion.  [1913 Webster]
•  To vary or inflect in a natural, customary, or musical manner; as, the organs of speech modulate the voice in reading or speaking.  [1913 Webster]

  "Could any person so modulate her voice as to deceive so many?"  [1913 Webster]
•  To alter the amplitude, frequency, phase, or intensity of (the carrier wave of a radio signal) at intervals, so as to represent information to be conveyed by the signal; -- a technique used to convey information by means of radio waves transmitted by one electronic device and received by another.  [WordNet 1.5]

modulate, v. i. 

 To pass from one key into another.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

modulate, v.
1 tr. a regulate or adjust. b moderate.
2 tr. adjust or vary the tone or pitch of (the speaking voice).
3 tr. alter the amplitude or frequency of (a wave) by a wave of a lower frequency to convey a signal.
4 intr. & tr. Mus. (often foll. by from, to) change or cause to change from one key to another.

Derivative

modulation n. modulator n.

Etymology

L modulari modulat- to measure f. modus measure

THESAURUS

modulate

abate, accommodate, adapt, adjust, adjust to, allay, alleviate, alter, ameliorate, assuage, attemper, balance, bank the fire, be changed, be converted into, be renewed, better, blunt, bottom out, box in, break, break up, change, chasten, checker, chop, chop and change, circumscribe, come about, come around, come round, condition, constrain, control, convert, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deform, degenerate, denature, deteriorate, deviate, diminish, diverge, diversify, downplay, dull, extenuate, fit, flop, haul around, hedge, hedge about, improve, inflect, intonate, jibe, keep within bounds, lay, leaven, lenify, lessen, lighten, limit, lower, meliorate, mitigate, moderate, modify, mutate, narrow, obtund, overthrow, palliate, play down, qualify, re-create, realign, rebuild, reconstruct, redesign, reduce, reduce the temperature, refit, reform, regulate, regulate by, remake, renew, reshape, restrain, restrict, restructure, revamp, revive, ring the changes, season, set, set conditions, set limits, shift, shift the scene, shuffle the cards, slacken, slow down, smother, sober, sober down, soften, stifle, subdue, subvert, suppress, swerve, tack, take a turn, tame, temper, tone down, tune, tune down, turn, turn aside, turn into, turn the corner, turn the scale, turn the tables, turn the tide, turn upside down, undergo a change, underplay, vary, veer, warp, weaken, work a change, worsen

ROGET THESAURUS

modulate

Change

VB change, alter, vary, wax and wane, modulate, diversify, qualify, tamper with, turn, shift, veer, tack, chop, shuffle, swerve, warp, deviate, turn aside, evert, intervert, pass to, take a turn, turn the corner, resume, work a change, modify, vamp, superinduce, transform, transfigure, transmute, transmogrify, transume, metamorphose, ring the changes, innovate, introduce new blood, shuffle the cards, give a turn to, give a color to, influence, turn the scale, shift the scene, turn over a new leaf, recast, reverse, disturb, convert into.

Qualification

VB qualify, limit, modify, leaven, give a color to, introduce new conditions, narrow, temper, waffle, quibble, hem and haw (be uncertain), equivocate (sophistry), depend, depend on, be contingent on (effect), allow for, make allowance for, admit exceptions, take into account, modulate, moderate, temper, season, leaven, take exception.