A musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength. The tone of the singer's voice was rich and full.
The general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc. The tone of the meeting was quite serious and formal.
The particular quality of brightness, deepness, or hue of a shade of a color. The artist chose a warm tone for the background of the painting.
A sound of distinct pitch, quality, and duration; a note. The phone emitted a tone indicating a new message.
The degree of tension or firmness in a muscle or organ. The doctor checked the muscle tone in the patient's arm.
In tonal languages, a pitch pattern carried by a syllable or word that distinguishes its meaning from other such patterns. In Mandarin, the syllable "ma" can mean "mother," "hemp," "horse," or "to scold," depending on its tone.