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undertone

[uhn-der-tohn]
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noun
  1. a low or subdued tone: to speak in undertones.
  2. an unobtrusive or background sound: an undertone of static from the receiver.
  3. an underlying quality or element; undercurrent: There was an undertone of regret in his refusal.
  4. a subdued color; a color modified by an underlying color.
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Origin of undertone

First recorded in 1800–10; under- + tone
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for undertone

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • A chattering and hurrying of people could be heard as an undertone.

    The Leopard Woman

    Stewart Edward White

  • "I will go with you quietly," he said to them, in an undertone.

    The Channings

    Mrs. Henry Wood

  • They had been speaking in an undertone, standing together at a window, apart from the rest.

    The Channings

    Mrs. Henry Wood

  • "That's Mrs. Wimby's husband," said the judge in an undertone.

  • Then, knowing Nani's history, he related it in an undertone.

British Dictionary definitions for undertone

undertone

noun
  1. a quiet or hushed tone of voice
  2. an underlying tone or suggestion in words or actionshis offer has undertones of dishonesty
  3. a pale or subdued colour
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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 undertone

n.

1762, "low or subdued tone," from under + tone. Figurative sense of "undercurrent of feelings, etc.," is attested from 1861.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper