Tune Meaning
/tjuːn/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA melody.
nounA song, or short musical composition.
Sentence Examples
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
The tune was not familiar to me.
I just can't sing in tune!
CEFR Practice Quiz
The violinist carefully used a tuner to ____ the pitch of each string.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He hummed a catchy ____ while he was working in the garden, which helped him to stay happy and focused today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English tune, an unexplained variant of tone, from Old French ton, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “a tone”). Doublet of tone, ton, and tonus.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Pray you now, if it may the ſtand with the tune of your voices, that I may bee Conſull, I haue heere the Cuſtomarie Gowne."
— c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 12, column 2:
"A child will learn three times as much when he is in tune, as when he […] is dragged unwillingly to [his task]."
— 1693, [John Locke], “§72”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC, page 76:
"The Harpe. […] A harper with his wreſt maye tune the harpe wrong / Mys tunying of an Inſtrument ſhal hurt a true ſonge"
— 1568, William Cornishe [i.e., William Cornysh], “In the Fleete Made by Me William Cornishe otherwise Called Nyshwhete Chapelman with the Most Famose and Noble Kyng Henry the VII. His Reygne the XIX. Yere the Moneth of July. A Treatise betwene Trouth, and Information.”, in John Skelton, edited by J[ohn] S[tow], Pithy Pleasaunt and Profitable Workes of Maister Skelton, Poete Laureate, London: […] Thomas Marshe, →OCLC; republished as Pithy Pleasaunt and Profitable Workes of Maister Skelton, Poete Laureate to King Henry the VIIIth, London: […] C. Davis […], 1736, →OCLC, page 290:
"She bids me hope; oh Heav'ns; ſhe pities me! / And pity ſtill foreruns approching love; / As Lightning does the Thunder! Tune your Harps / Ye Angels to that ſound; and thou, my Heart, / Make room to entertain thy flowing Joy."
— 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act II, page 21:
"Fortune foretun'd the Dying Notes of Rome: / Till I, thy Conſul ſole, conſol'd thy Doom."
— 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Tenth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 199, lines 190–191:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The violinist carefully used a tuner to ____ the pitch of each string.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He hummed a catchy ____ while he was working in the garden, which helped him to stay happy and focused today.