tone language

英：[təun ˈlæŋɡwidʒ]

美：[toʊn ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ]

noun

a language, such as Chinese, Swedish, or Bantu, in which the pitch or tone contour of a word helps to distinguish its meaning from that of another word that otherwise sounds like it; tonal language.

The first known use of tone language was circa 1909

make1 of 2verb

to begin or seem to begin an action

she made as if to go

to act so as to appear

make merry

to cause to exist or occur : create make trouble

make a noise

to create for some purpose or goal

she was made to be a surgeon

to form or shape out of material or parts : fashion, construct make a chair

make a dress

to combine to produce

2 and 2 make 4

to frame in the mind

make plans

to put together from parts

houses made of stone

to estimate to be : compute

I make it an even $5

to set in order

make a bed

prepare, fix

make dinner

to cut and spread for drying

make hay

to cause to be or become

made herself useful

appoint

made him her assistant

enact sense 1, establish

make laws

to prepare in an appropriate manner

make a will

understand sense 1a

unable to make anything of the story

to regard as being : consider

he is not the fool you make him

do entry 1 sense 1a, perform make a bow

make war

to produce or acquire by or as if by action or effort make good money make friends

made a mess of the job

to force to act in some manner

made her return home

to cause or assure the success of

the first case made the new lawyer

to develop into

she will make a fine judge

reach entry 1 sense 2c, attain he made corporal in 10 months they made it to the other side of the bridge

the ship makes port tonight

to gain a place on or in the story made the papers

made the track team

catch entry 1 sense 7b

make the train

to set out in pursuit

made after the fox

to provide the most satisfying experience of

meeting the star of the show really made our day

make2 of 2noun

the way in which a thing is made : structure

a particular kind of manufactured goods : brand

looked at several makes of car before deciding

makeup1 of 2noun

the way the parts or elements of something are put together : composition

the makeup of a newspaper

any of various cosmetics (as lipstick or powder)

materials (as wigs or cosmetics) used in making up too young to wear makeup

put on makeup for a play

make up2 of 2verb

to form by fitting together or assembling make up a train

make up a suit

compose sense 1b

chapters make up a book

to make good for something lacking or for a loss or injury

decide sense 3, settle

made up my mind to go

to create from the imagination : invent

make up a story

to set in order

rooms are made up daily

to become friendly again

they fought and made up

to put on costumes or makeup (as for a play)

made up as a clown

to apply cosmetics to

mean1 of 4adjective

lacking distinction or prominence : humble

of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status

lives in mean surroundings

worthy of little regard : inferior—often used in negative constructions as a term of praise

a person of no mean ability

deliberately unkind

stingy sense 1, miserly

spiteful, malicious

a mean remark

causing trouble or bother

a mean horse

excellent

plays a mean trumpet

mean2 of 4verb

to have as a purpose : intend

I mean to go

to intend for a particular purpose or use

a book meant for children

to serve to communicate, show, or indicate : signify those clouds mean rain

what do these words mean

to be important to a specified degree

health means everything to us

mean3 of 4adjective

holding a middle position : intermediate

lying about midway between extremes

being the mean of a set of values : average

mean temperature

mean4 of 4noun

a middle point between extremes

a value that represents a range of valuesespecially: arithmetic mean

either of the middle two terms of a proportion

plural something by which a desired result is achieved or furthered use any means you can

means of production

plural wealth sense 1

a person of means

tongue-tiedadjective

unable to speak clearly or freely (as from shyness)

tongue-in-cheek1 of 2adjective

not meant to be taken seriously

tongue in cheek2 of 2adverb

in a tongue-in-cheek manner

mean1 of 4adjective

lacking distinction or prominence : humble

of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status

lives in mean surroundings

worthy of little regard : inferior—often used in negative constructions as a term of praise

a person of no mean ability

deliberately unkind

stingy sense 1, miserly

spiteful, malicious

a mean remark

causing trouble or bother

a mean horse

excellent

plays a mean trumpet

mean2 of 4verb

to have as a purpose : intend

I mean to go

to intend for a particular purpose or use

a book meant for children

to serve to communicate, show, or indicate : signify those clouds mean rain

what do these words mean

to be important to a specified degree

health means everything to us

mean3 of 4adjective

holding a middle position : intermediate

lying about midway between extremes

being the mean of a set of values : average

mean temperature

mean4 of 4noun

a middle point between extremes

a value that represents a range of valuesespecially: arithmetic mean

either of the middle two terms of a proportion

plural something by which a desired result is achieved or furthered use any means you can

means of production

plural wealth sense 1

a person of means

tone languagenoun

a language (as Chinese) in which changes in tone of words that otherwise sound alike indicate different meanings