[syn: tune, tune up]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Tune \Tune\ (t[=u]n), v. i.
1. To form one sound to another; to form accordant musical
sounds.
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Whilst tuning to the water's fall,
The small birds sang to her. --Drayton.
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2. To utter inarticulate harmony with the voice; to sing
without pronouncing words; to hum. [R.]
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Tune \Tune\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tuned (t[=u]nd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Tuning.]
1. 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. " Tune your harps."
--Dryden.
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2. To give tone to; to attune; to adapt in style of music; to
make harmonious.
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For now to sorrow must I tune my song. --Milton.
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3. To sing with melody or harmony.
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Fountains, and ye, that warble, as ye flow,
Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise.
--Milton.
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4. To put into a proper state or disposition. --Shak.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Tune \Tune\ (t[=u]n), n. [A variant of tone.]
1. A sound; a note; a tone. "The tune of your voices."
--Shak.
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2. (Mus.)
(a) 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.
(b) The state of giving the proper sound or sounds; just
intonation; harmonious accordance; pitch of the voice
or an instrument; adjustment of the parts of an
instrument so as to harmonize with itself or with
others; as, the piano, or the organ, is not in tune.
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Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh.
--Shak.
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3. Order; harmony; concord; fit disposition, temper, or
humor; right mood.
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A child will learn three times as much when he is in
tune, as when he . . . is dragged unwillingly to
[his task]. --Locke.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
tune
n 1: a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she
was humming an air from Beethoven" [syn: tune, melody,
air, strain, melodic line, line, melodic phrase]
2: the property of producing accurately a note of a given pitch;
"he cannot sing in tune"; "the clarinet was out of tune"
3: the adjustment of a radio receiver or other circuit to a
required frequency
v 1: adjust for (better) functioning; "tune the engine" [syn:
tune, tune up]
2: adjust the pitches of (musical instruments); "My piano needs
to be tuned" [syn: tune, tune up] [ant: untune]
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):
tune
(From musical, possibly via automotive, usage) To
optimise a program or system for a particular environment,
especially by adjusting numerical parameters designed as
hooks for tuning, e.g. by changing "#define" lines in C.
One may "tune for time" (fastest execution), "tune for space"
(least memory use), or "tune for configuration" (most
efficient use of hardware).
See bum, hot spot, hand-hacking.
[Jargon File]
(1999-06-05)
The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):
tune
vt.
[from automotive or musical usage] To optimize a program or system for a
particular environment, esp. by adjusting numerical parameters designed as
hooks for tuning, e.g., by changing #define lines in C. One may tune for
time (fastest execution), tune for space (least memory use), or tune for
configuration (most efficient use of hardware). See hot spot,
hand-hacking.