[f. TONE sb.]
I. † 1. trans. Mus. To sound with the proper tone or musical quality; to intone. Obs.
c. 1325. in Rel. Ant., I. 292. Thu tones nowt the note ilke be his name, Thu bitist a-sonder bequarre, for bemol I the blame.
1570. Levins, Manip., 168/38. To Toone, modulari.
b. To give a good or proper tone to.
1891. Advt., Pianos toned and repaired.
2. intr. To issue forth in musical tones. rare.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 74. Wyth ympnys and psalmys wel tonyng Thousandis of aungells aftyr hym dyd goon.
1850. L. Hunt, Autobiog., ix. 160. The sounding words came toning out of his dignified utterance like ‘sonorous metal.’
3. trans. To utter with a musical sound, or in a special or affected tone; to intone.
1660. South, Serm., Matt. xiii. 52 (1727), IV. i. 52. Those strange new Postures used by some in the Delivery of the Word. Such as shutting the Eyes,… speaking through the Nose, which I think cannot so properly be called Preaching, as Toning of a Sermon.
1704. Swift, Mech. Operat. Spirit, § 2 Misc. (1711), 295. Tuning and toning each Word, and Syllable, and Letter to their due Cadence.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills (1872), III. 334. With pleasing Twang he tones his Prose,… And draws John Calvin through the Nose.
1796. Southey, Lett. fr. Spain (1799), 399. He sung or toned his verses.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., i. The boy … commenced toning a psalm-tune through his nose with imperturbable gravity.
1883. W. C. Smith, N. Country Folk, 185. The Common prayer Was sweetly toned to the fishers there.
† 4. To lay the accent or stress upon, to accent (a word or syllable). Obs.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, xxii. ¶ 5. If it be Set thus, that that That that that Man would have stand at the beginning of the Line should stand at the end; it will, by toning and laying Emphasis on the middlemost That become good Sense.
II. 5. To alter or modify the tone or general coloring of; to give the desired tone to; spec. (a) To cover (a painting) with oil or varnish so as to soften the coloring; (b) To alter the tone or tint of (a photograph) in the process of finishing it. Also absol.
1859. Gullick & Timbs, Paint., 215. It was not unfrequent for the possessors of old pictures to have them toned, as it was called.
1868. M. C. Lea, Man. Photogr., xiii. 219. This bath tones much like the preceding; gives brown, purple-black, or black tones, and by overtoning, blue. Ibid., 220. Landscapes should be toned only with the acetate or benzoate bath.
1893. J. A. Hodges, Elem. Photogr. (1907), 49. A gold bath will only tone when in a neutral or slightly alkaline condition.
1902. Westm. Gaz., 13 March, 2/2. One can always send the lace … and get it toned exactly.
b. intr. To receive or assume a tone, tint, or shade of color; esp. in Photogr.
1868. M. C. Lea, Man. Photogr., xiii. 218. If a washed print be simply thrown into a dilute solution of chloride of gold, it will tone.
1873. E. Spon, Workshop Receipts, Ser. I. 257/2. If delayed many hours the prints will not tone readily.
c. To harmonize with in coloring. Also with in.
18[?]. St. Louis Spectator (U.S.), XI. 327 (Cent.). Beaded passementerie, which tones in with the delicate shades of blue, and pink chiffon, and dark velvet.
1904. Westm. Gaz., 20 Jan., 3/2. In each case her hat tones with the dress. Ibid. (1907), 25 Sept., 2/1. The red- or brown-tiled wooden chalets at once tone in with Nature.
III. 6. trans. To impart a tone to (in various senses of the sb.); to modify, regulate, or adjust the tone or quality of; to give physical or mental tone to, to brace.
1811. Shelley, St. Irvyne, viii. A degree of solemnity, mixed with concealed fierceness, toned his voice as he spoke.
1859. J. Cumming, Ruth, ii. 18. The husband tones into a loftier pitch the spiritual and moral character of the wife.
1871. L. Stephen, Playgr. Eur., xiii. (1894), 334. Your mind is properly toned by these influences.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, I. ii. 11. Nor many years had toned his heedlessness.
b. Tone down, to lower the tone, quality, or character of; to soften, make less emphatic. Tone up, to raise or improve the tone of, to give a higher or stronger tone to.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. xxvi. 371. These [ice-ridges] … become more and more toned down by the action of sun and air.
1864. Reader, No. 98. 603/1. By toning up public sentiment.
1884. Times (weekly ed.), 29 Aug., 14/1. These rosy impressions were decidedly toned down on closer inspection.
1896. Chatauqua Mag., Dec. Advt., Some remedy that will tone-up the nervous system.
1906. F. L. Dodd, Municip. Milk, 9. A custom has grown up called ‘toning down the milk,’ which consists in the addition of skimmed milk to such an extent as just to reduce the percentage of fat to the legal minimum.
c. intr. for pass. Tone down, to become lowered, weakened, or softened in tone; tone up, to rise or improve in tone.
1850. Kingsley, Alt. Locke, xiii. The ivory and vermilion of the complexion had toned down together into still richer hues.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. ix. Gradually toning down to a motherly strain.
1881. Chicago Times, 14 May. Trade toned up considerably under the influence of warm weather.
1885. L’pool Daily Post, 11 April, 5/2. Public excitement with respect to Russia has considerably toned down.
Hence Toning, vbl. sb. and ppl. a., in various senses.
1650. [see TONE v. 3].
1708. Ozell, trans. Boileau’s Lutrin, IV. (1730), 192. The Toning of the Tenebrae.
1796. Southey, Lett. fr. Spain (1799), 399. The defects of metre are disguised by toning.
1843. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., I. II. II. ii. § 15. This toning down and connection of the colours actually used.
1861. Photogr. News Alm., in Circ. Sc. (c. 1865), I. 155/1. Sufficient water tends … to secure regular toning. Ibid. Several different forms of the alkaline gold toning bath have been proposed.
1878. Abney, Photogr. (1881), 140. A trace of hypochlorous acid was found in the toning solution.
1891. Meredith, One of our Conq., xxxv. She struck a toneing warmth through his intelligence.
