word-vault

{ "term": "tone", "partOfSpeech": "noun", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "b2", "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "the quality of somebody’s voice, especially expressing a particular emotion", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "speaking in hushed/low/clipped/measured, etc. tones" }, { "text": "a conversational tone" }, { "text": "a tone of surprise" }, { "text": "Don't speak to me in that **tone of voice** *(= in that unpleasant way)*." }, { "text": "There's not need to **take that tone** *(= speak critically or rudely)* with me—it's not my fault we're late." }, { "text": "‘You ought to have thought of them,’ she said in a reproachful tone." }, { "text": "Excuse me, I don't like your tone." }, { "text": "Her tone betrayed her impatience." }, { "text": "Her tone sounded sincere but I knew she was lying." }, { "text": "His tone changed dramatically when he saw the money." }, { "text": "In cool, clipped tones, he told her what had happened." }, { "text": "She answered him in a brisk, matter-of-fact tone." }, { "text": "His tone was faintly mocking." }, { "text": "The question was posed in a flat tone." }, { "text": "The rising tone of her voice emphasized her panic." }, { "text": "When she heard my accent, she adopted a warmer tone." }, { "text": "We heard the dulcet tones of the sergeant, bawling at us to get on parade." } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["deep", "low", "hushed"], "verb + tone": ["adopt", "speak in", "strike"], "tone + verb": ["change", "soften", "convey something"], "preposition": ["in a/the tone", "in tones of"], "phrases": ["a tone of voice"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "the general character and attitude of something such as a piece of writing, or the atmosphere of an event", "sensetop": "in tone", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "The overall tone of the book is gently nostalgic." }, { "text": "She **set the tone for** the meeting with a firm statement of company policy." }, { "text": "Trust you to **lower the tone** of the conversation *(= for example by telling a rude joke)*." }, { "text": "The article was moderate in tone and presented both sides of the case.", "contextForm": "in tone" }, { "text": "a change in tone" }, { "text": "The film takes a sudden shift in tone in the final minutes." }, { "text": "The newspaper said voters had been turned off by the negative tone of the campaign." }, { "text": "He uses humour to lighten the tone of the novel." }, { "text": "His letter was very negative in tone." }, { "text": "The general tone of the report was favourable." }, { "text": "The movie has a jokey tone throughout." }, { "text": "The music perfectly matches the tone of the movie." }, { "text": "The newspaper sets a high moral tone in its editorial about politicians' private lives." }, { "text": "There is a marked change of tone in the second half of the book." } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["dominant", "general", "overall"], "verb + tone": ["establish", "set", "have"], "preposition": ["in tone"], "phrases": ["a change in tone", "a change of tone"] } }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "the quality of a sound, especially the sound of a musical instrument or one produced by electronic equipment", "cefr": "b2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "the full rich tone of the trumpet" }, { "text": "the sweet tone of the flute" }, { "text": "the volume and tone controls on a car stereo" } ], "topics": ["Music"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["deep", "low", "hushed"], "verb + tone": ["adopt", "speak in", "strike"], "tone + verb": ["change", "soften", "convey something"], "preposition": ["in a/the tone", "in tones of"], "phrases": ["a tone of voice"] } }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "a shade of a colour", "cefr": "c2", "examples": [ { "text": "a carpet in warm tones of brown and orange" }, { "text": "You should use a foundation that matches your skin tone." }, { "text": "Dark, rich tones will absorb light to make a room look smaller." }, { "text": "Her hair was lit with copper tones." }, { "text": "muted tones of blue and green" } ], "topics": ["Colours and Shapes"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["light", "muted", "neutral"], "verb + tone": ["match"] } }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "how strong and tight your muscles or skin are", "cefr": "c2", "examples": [ { "text": "how to improve your **muscle/skin tone**" } ], "topics": ["Appearance"] }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "a sound heard on a phone line", "labels": "(British English)(North American English)", "examples": [ { "text": "the **dialling tone**" }, { "text": "the **dial tone**" }, { "text": "Please speak after the tone *(= for example as an instruction on an answering machine)*." }, { "text": "I keep getting the engaged tone." } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["dial", "dialling", "engaged"], "verb + tone": ["get"], "tone + verb": ["sound"] } }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "one of the five longer intervals in a musical scale, for example the interval between C and D or between E and F♯", "labels": "(British English)US English", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": 8, "definition": "the pitch (= how high or low a sound is) of a syllable in speaking", "cefr": "c1", "examples": [ { "text": "a **rising/falling tone**" } ], "topics": ["Language"] }, { "senseNumber": 9, "definition": "a particular pitch pattern on a syllable in languages such as Chinese, that can be used to recognize the difference in meanings", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": 10, "definition": "having the type of tone mentioned", "examples": [ { "text": "a bright-toned soprano" }, { "text": "olive-toned skin" } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/təʊn/", "audio": "to/tone/tone__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/təʊn/", "audio": "to/tone/tone__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French ton, from Latin tonus, from Greek tonos ‘tension, tone’, from teinein ‘to stretch’." }