modulate
[ moj-uh-leyt ]
/ ˈmɒdʒ əˌleɪt /
verb (used with object), mod·u·lat·ed, mod·u·lat·ing.
to regulate by or adjust to a certain measure or proportion; soften; tone down.
to alter or adapt (the voice) according to the circumstances, one's listener, etc.
Music.
- to attune to a certain pitch or key.
- to vary the volume of (tone).
Telecommunications. to cause the amplitude, frequency, phase, or intensity of (a carrier wave) to vary in accordance with a sound wave or other signal, the frequency of the signal wave usually being very much lower than that of the carrier.
verb (used without object), mod·u·lat·ed, mod·u·lat·ing.
Telecommunications.
- to modulate a carrier wave.
- Citizens Band Radio Slang. to talk; visit: Enjoyed modulating with you.
Music. to pass from one key to another: to modulate abruptly from A to B flat.
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Origin of modulate
OTHER WORDS FROM modulate
Words nearby modulate
mods, modular, modular arithmetic, modularity, modularize, modulate, modulation, modulator, module, modulo, modulus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for modulating
British Dictionary definitions for modulating
modulate
/ (ˈmɒdjʊˌleɪt) /
verb
(tr) to change the tone, pitch, or volume of
(tr) to adjust or regulate the degree of
music
- to subject to or undergo modulation in music
- (often foll by to) to make or become in tune (with a pitch, key, etc)
(tr) physics electronics to cause to vary by a process of modulation
Derived forms of modulate
modulability (ˌmɒdjʊləˈbɪlɪtɪ), nounmodulative or modulatory, adjectivemodulator, nounWord Origin for modulate
C16: from Latin modulātus in due measure, melodious, from modulārī to regulate, from modus measure
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for modulating
modulate
[ mŏj′ə-lāt′ ]
To vary the amplitude, frequency, or some other characteristic of a signal or power source. See also amplitude modulation frequency modulation.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.