The strange situation I am in and the melancholy state of public
affairs, . . . drag the mind down . . . from a philosophical tone or
temper, to the drudgery of private and public business.
Bolingbroke.
Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing.
W. C. Bryant.
8. Tenor; character; spirit; drift; as, the tone of his remarks was
commendatory.
9. General or prevailing character or style, as of morals, manners, or
sentiment, in reference to a scale of high and low; as, a low tone of
morals; a tone of elevated sentiment; a courtly tone of manners.
10. The general effect of a picture produced by the combination of
light and shade, together with color in the case of a painting; —
commonly used in a favorable sense; as, this picture has tone.
Tone color. (Mus.) see the Note under def. 4, above. — Tone syllable,
an accented syllable. M. Stuart.
Tone (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Toned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Toning.] 1. To
utter with an affected tone.