tuning fork

noun

: a 2-pronged metal implement that gives a fixed tone when struck and is useful for tuning musical instruments and ascertaining standard pitch

Illustration of tuning fork

Illustration of tuning fork

Examples of tuning fork in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Each and every one also referred back to vintage as a kind of tuning fork of ideas: John was enthralled with the couture techniques of Vionnet and Charles James, with Savile Row tailoring, with 18th-century decadence spliced with London street culture. Amanda Harlech, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2025 The ray spiders flung their webs when the tuning fork was farther away than the mosquitos had been. Ari Daniel, NPR, 6 Dec. 2024 Han then used a tuning fork that was set to the tone that is produced by a flies’ whining wings. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2024 And the wood sound might not end up being pure tuning fork. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for tuning fork

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tuning fork was in 1799

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Cite this Entry

“Tuning fork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuning%20fork. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

tuning fork

noun
: a metal instrument that gives a fixed tone when struck and is useful in tuning musical instruments

Medical Definition

tuning fork

noun
tun·​ing fork ˈt(y)ün-iŋ- How to pronounce tuning fork (audio)
: a 2-pronged metal implement that gives a fixed tone when struck

More from Merriam-Webster on tuning fork

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