Tune

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Tune, n. [A variant of tone.].

•  A sound; a note; a tone.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  A rhythmical, melodious, symmetrical series of tones for one voice or instrument, or for any number of voices or instruments in unison, or two or more such series forming parts in harmony; a melody; an air; as, a merry tune; a mournful tune; a slow tune; a psalm tune. See Air.  [1913 Webster]

  "Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh."  [1913 Webster]
•  Order; harmony; concord; fit disposition, temper, or humor; right mood.  [1913 Webster]

  "A child will learn three times as much when he is in tune, as when he . . . is dragged unwillingly to [his task]."  [1913 Webster]

Tune, v. t. 

•  To put into a state adapted to produce the proper sounds; to harmonize, to cause to be in tune; to correct the tone of; as, to tune a piano or a violin.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]
•  To give tone to; to attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious.  [1913 Webster]

  "For now to sorrow must I tune my song."  [1913 Webster]
•  To sing with melody or harmony.  [1913 Webster]

  "Fountains, and ye, that warble, as ye flow,
  Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise."  [1913 Webster]
•  To put into a proper state or disposition.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Tune, v. i. 

•  To form one sound to another; to form accordant musical sounds.  [1913 Webster]

  "Whilst tuning to the water's fall,
  The small birds sang to her."  [1913 Webster]
•  To utter inarticulate harmony with the voice; to sing without pronouncing words; to hum.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Tune, n. & v.
--n. a melody with or without harmony.
--v.
1 tr. put (a musical instrument) in tune.
2 a tr. adjust (a radio receiver etc.) to the particular frequency of the required signals. b intr. (foll. by in) adjust a radio receiver to the required signal (tuned in to Radio 2).
3 tr. adjust (an engine etc.) to run smoothly and efficiently.
4 tr. (foll. by to) adjust or adapt to a required or different purpose, situation, etc.
5 intr. (foll. by with) be in harmony with.

Idiom

in tune 1 having the correct pitch or intonation (sings in tune).
2 (usu. foll. by with) harmonizing with one's company, surroundings, etc.
out of tune
1 not having the correct pitch or intonation (always plays out of tune).
2 (usu. foll. by with) clashing with one's company etc. to the tune of colloq. to the considerable sum or amount of.
tune up
1 (of an orchestra) bring the instruments to the proper or uniform pitch.
2 begin to play or sing.
3 bring to the most efficient condition.

Derivative

tunable adj. (also tuneable).

Etymology

ME: unexpl. var. of TONE

THESAURUS

Tune

French pitch, accommodate, accord, accordance, adapt, adjust, adjust to, agreement, air, align, aria, assimilate, assonate, atone, attend to, attune, attunement, be aware of, be blind to, be harmonious, be in tune, blend, calibrate, canto, cantus, capacitate, carol, chant, chart, chime, chiming, chord, chorus, classical pitch, codify, composition, concentus, concert, concord, concordance, condition, conform, conformity, consonance, consonancy, consort, coordinate, correspondence, cut to, depth, descant, dial, diapason, disregard, dulcetness, enable, equalize, equip, euphony, extent, fit, fix, furnish, gear to, harmonics, harmonize, harmony, heavy harmony, height, high pitch, homologate, homologize, homophony, ignore, integrate, key, key to, lay, line, listen to, low pitch, magnitude, make plumb, make uniform, matter, measure, mellifluence, mellifluousness, melodia, melodic line, melodiousness, melodize, melody, methodize, monochord, monody, motif, musical quality, musical sound, musicality, musicalize, neighborhood, new philharmonic pitch, normalize, note, number, organize, pay attention to, philharmonic pitch, philosophical pitch, piece, pitch, plan, proportion, put in trim, put in tune, qualify, range, rationalize, reconcile, rectify, refrain, register, regularize, regulate, right, routinize, set, set right, settle, similarize, solo, solo part, song, soprano part, sound in tune, sound together, standard pitch, standardize, strain, string, suit, sweetness, symphonize, symphony, sync, synchronism, synchronization, synchronize, systematize, tailor, theme, three-part harmony, tonality, tone, tone down, tone up, treble, trim to, true, true up, tune out, tune up, tunefulness, understand, unison, unisonance, vicinity, vocalize, voice, warble

ROGET THESAURUS

Tune

Concord

VB agree, accord, harmonize with, fraternize, be concordant, go hand in hand, run parallel, understand one another, pull together, put up one's horses together, sing in chorus, side with, sympathize with, go with, chime in with, fall in with, come round, be pacified, assent, empathize with, enter into the ideas of, enter into the feelings of, reciprocate, hurler avec les loups, go with the stream, swim with the stream, keep in good humor, render accordant, put in tune, come to an understanding, meet halfway, keep the peace, remain at peace, be harmonious, harmonize, chime, symphonize, transpose, put in tune, tune, accord, string.

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.