tuning fork

American  

noun

1. a steel instrument consisting of a stem with two prongs, producing a musical tone of definite, constant pitch when struck, and serving as a standard for tuning musical instruments, making acoustical experiments, and the like.

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tuning fork British  

noun

1. a two-pronged metal fork that when struck produces a pure note of constant specified pitch. It is used to tune musical instruments and in acoustics

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Etymology

Origin of tuning fork

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

The tuning fork came last, with Vargas pressing it against various points on my face.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

Be “meticulously thoughtful” about one’s needs and comforts, hence the tuning fork.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2025

They also approached the spiders with a tuning fork that vibrated at the same frequency as the insects’ beating wings.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 4, 2024

Along the tines of the tuning fork are spiral galaxies that do have gas and star-forming regions along their compact arms.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald