tune

Noun

tune (countable and uncountable, plural tunes)

1. A melody.
   • Eric played a catchy tune on his acoustic guitar and Alyssa played the drums.
2. A song, or short musical composition.
3. (informal) The act of tuning or maintenance.
   • Your engine needs a good tune.
4. The state or condition of being correctly tuned.
   • Your engine is now in tune.
   • This piano is not in tune.
5. (obsolete) Temper; frame of mind.
6. (obsolete) A sound; a note; a tone.
   • 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]...
7. (obsolete) Order; harmony; concord.
   • 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

Interjection

1. (UK, slang) Used to show appreciation or approval of a song.
   • You heard the new Rizzle Kicks song? — Tune!

Verb

tune (third-person singular simple present tunes, present participle tuning, simple past and past participle tuned)

1. To adjust (a musical instrument) so that it produces the correct pitches.
   • to tune a piano or a violin
   • The Harpe. […] A harper with his wreſt maye tune the harpe wrong / Mys tunying of an Inſtrument ſhal hurt a true ſonge1568, 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....
2. To adjust or modify (especially a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally.
   • Tuning the engine gave me an extra twenty horsepower.
   • Tune your mind, and anything becomes possible.
3. To adjust the frequency of a transmitter or receiver, such as on a radio or TV transmitter or receiver, so as to send or receive an electromagnetic signal through a desired frequency band or channel.
   • Tune to Channel 6 for all your favourite daytime shows.

   Synonyms:

   tune in

4. Of faculties, senses, etc.: to adapt to or direct towards a particular target.
   • My ears were tuned to the sounds of the forest.
5. To make more precise, intense, or effective; to put into a proper state or disposition.
   • [H]ee hath incurred the euerlaſting diſpleaſure of the King, who had euen tun'd his bounty to ſing happineſſe to him.c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
   1. (slang) To produce a particular quality of voice by adjusting singing voice synthesis software.
      • […] Those who are highly skilled in manipulating the Vocaloid technology—e.g., tuning Miku's singing voices—arrange existing[…]2017 August 10, Keisuke Yamada, Supercell's Supercell featuring Hatsune Miku, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, →ISBN
      • LOLA's voice is used simply to render basic notes and words with no pitch or expression tuning applied.2018 December 6, Nina Sun Eidsheim, The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music, Duke University Press, →ISBN
6. To adjust the frequency of a transmitter or receiver, such as on a radio or TV transmitter or receiver, so as to send or receive an electromagnetic signal through a desired frequency band or channel.
7. To attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious.
   • For now to ſorrow must I tune my ſong, / And ſet my Harpe to notes of ſaddeſt wo, […]c. 1630, John Milton, “The Passion”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, stanza II, page 17
8. (transitive) To give a certain tone or character to.
9. (transitive) To set (lyrics) to music.
   • Ginsberg sang some poems from William Blake which he had "tuned".1977 April 9, Charley Shively, “Ginsberg Triumphant”, in Gay Community News, page 12
10. (obsolete) To sing with melody or harmony.
    • To ſee great Hercules whipping a Gigge, / And profound Sallomon to tune a Iigge.c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby...
    • Fountains and yee, that warble, as ye flow, / Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praiſe.1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished...
11. (South Africa, slang, transitive) To be impudent towards; to cheek.
    • Are you tuning me?

Proper noun capitalized: Tune

Tune (plural Tunes)

1. A surname.