tune (tunes plural & 3rd person present) (tuning present participle) (tuned past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A tune is a series of musical notes that is pleasant and easy to remember.
(=melody)
She was humming a merry little tune.
2 n-count You can refer to a song or a short piece of music as a tune.
She'll also be playing your favourite pop tunes.
3 verb When someone tunes a musical instrument, they adjust it so that it produces the right notes.
`We do tune our guitars before we go on,' he insisted. V n
Tune up means the same as tune., phrasal verb
Others were quietly tuning up their instruments. V P n (not pron)
4 verb When an engine or machine is tuned, it is adjusted so that it works well.
usu passive
Drivers are urged to make sure that car engines are properly tuned. be V-ed
Tune up means the same as tune., phrasal verb
The shop charges up to V P n (not pron) 500 to tune up a Porsche.
5 verb If your radio or television is tuned to a particular broadcasting station, you are listening to or watching the programmes being broadcast by that station.
usu passive
A small colour television was tuned to an afternoon soap opera. be V-ed to n
6
→
fine-tune
→
signature tune
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tuning fork
7 If you say that a person or organization is calling the tune, you mean that they are in a position of power or control in a particular situation.
♦
call the tune phrase V inflects
Who would then be calling the tune in Parliament?
8 If you say that someone has changed their tune, you are criticizing them because they have changed their opinion or way of doing things.
♦
change one's tune phrase V inflects (disapproval)
You've changed your tune since this morning, haven't you?...
9 If you say that someone is dancing to someone else's tune, you mean that they are allowing themselves to be controlled by the other person.
♦
dance to sb's tune phrase V inflects (disapproval)
The danger of commercialism is that the churches end up dancing to the tune of their big business sponsors.
10 A person or musical instrument that is in tune produces exactly the right notes. A person or musical instrument that is out of tune does not produce exactly the right notes.
♦
in tune/out of tune phrase PHR after v, v-link PHR
It was just an ordinary voice, but he sang in tune..., Many of the notes are out of tune...
11 If you are in tune with a group of people, you are in agreement or sympathy with them. If you are out of tune with them, you are not in agreement or sympathy with them.
♦
in tune with/out of tune with phrase v-link PHR, PHR n
Today, his change of direction seems more in tune with the times..., The peace campaigners were probably out of tune with most Britons.
12 To the tune of a particular amount of money means to the extent of that amount.
♦
to the tune of prep-phrase PREP amount
They've been sponsoring the World Cup to the tune of a million and a half pounds.
13
→
he who pays the piper calls the tune
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piper tune in
1 phrasal verb If you tune in to a particular television or radio station or programme, you watch or listen to it.
More than six million youngsters tune in to Blockbusters every day... V P to n
The idea that people plan their radio listening is nonsense; most tune in impulsively. V P
2 phrasal verb If you tune in to something such as your own or other people's feelings, you become aware of them.
You can start now to tune in to your own physical, social and spiritual needs. V P to n
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tuned in tune up phrasal verb When a group of musicians tune up, they adjust their instruments so that they produce the right notes.
I could hear the sound of a band tuning up. V P
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tune 4
