tune

Noun · Verb

Synonyms: melody air strain melodic line line melodic phrase tune up

WordNet 3.0

Noun (3)

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence“she was humming an air from Beethoven”Synonyms: melody air strain melodic line line melodic phrase
the property of producing accurately a note of a given pitch“he cannot sing in tune”“the clarinet was out of tune”
the adjustment of a radio receiver or other circuit to a required frequency

Verb (2)

adjust for (better) functioning“tune the engine”Synonyms: tune up
adjust the pitches of (musical instruments)“My piano needs to be tuned”Synonyms: tune up

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Tune \Tune\ (t[=u]n), v. i.

1.To form one sound to another; to form accordant musical sounds. [1913 Webster]

Whilst tuning to the water's fall, The small birds sang to her.— Drayton.[1913 Webster]

2.To utter inarticulate harmony with the voice; to sing without pronouncing words; to hum. [R.] [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster]

2.To give tone to; to attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious. [1913 Webster]

For now to sorrow must I tune my song.— Milton.[1913 Webster]

3.To sing with melody or harmony. [1913 Webster]

Fountains, and ye, that warble, as ye flow, Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise.— Milton.[1913 Webster]

4.To put into a proper state or disposition. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Tune \Tune\ (t[=u]n), n. [A variant of tone.]

1.A sound; a note; a tone. "The tune of your voices." --Shak. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

3.Order; harmony; concord; fit disposition, temper, or humor; right mood. [1913 Webster]

A child will learn three times as much when he is in tune, as when he . . . is dragged unwillingly to [his task].— Locke.[1913 Webster]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

tune

<jargon> (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

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.