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toner

[toh-ner]
noun
  1. a person or thing that tones.
  2. a highly concentrated organic pigment containing little or no inert matter.
  3. a powder, either dry or dispersed in an organic liquid, used in xerography to produce the final image.
  4. Also called chemical toner. Photography, Movies. a chemical solution used to change the color of and, in some cases, help preserve black-and-white prints and motion-picture film by altering or replacing the silver image.
  5. a worker for a paint manufacturer who tests the color and quality of paint.
  6. a cosmetic preparation, usually a liquid, used to restore firmness to the skin.
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Origin of toner

First recorded in 1885–90; tone + -er1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for toner

Historical Examples

  • For Mrs. Toner the light-giver he knew that he had conceived a rooted aversion.

    Adrienne Toner

    Anne Douglas Sedgwick

  • She was looking at Miss Toner and if she had been pale before, she was paler now.

    Adrienne Toner

    Anne Douglas Sedgwick

  • All his solicitude was for Miss Toner in her imaginary plight.

    Adrienne Toner

    Anne Douglas Sedgwick

  • Miss Toner was quietly laughing, and indeed everybody laughed.

    Adrienne Toner

    Anne Douglas Sedgwick

  • "No you won't, Toner; turn your head to one side," he called.

    Two Knapsacks

    John Campbell

British Dictionary definitions for toner

toner

noun
  1. a person or thing that tones or produces tones, esp a concentrated pure organic pigment
  2. a cosmetic preparation that is applied to produce a required effect, such as one that softens or alters hair colour or one that reduces the oiliness of the skin
  3. photog a chemical solution that softens or alters the colour of the tones of a photographic image
  4. a powdered chemical used in photocopying machines and laser printers, which is transferred onto paper to form the printed image
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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

Word Origin and History for toner

n.

1888, agent noun from tone (v.). As a photography chemical, from 1920; in xerography, from 1954.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper