Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
📺 To reset channels 🎸 To adjust pitch
to retune

to retune

2 4.5
Adjust a radio or television to get channels more clearly
  • verb
  • /riˈtun/
translation icon : reajustar
  • They track the dancing light for miles, getting lost, not caring, tuning and retuning the radio, always peering through the moonroof to find their North Star.

Examples

  • So they have to completely retune all the different stages and the arm spinning power and there you go.

  • (Radio retuned)

    Pink Narcissus (1971)

  • But the only problem we got now, is we have to go and retune it.

    The Cannonball Run (1981)

  • But anyway, we're going to retune this TV just to show you how many channels it's picking up.

  • (Radio retuned) - This is...

    Pink Narcissus (1971)

  • I had Willie ask Rattan to retune to 8.9247 gigahertz.

    Contact (1997)

  • One point about Spock retuning the radio: Uhura was very likely monitoring the radio bands, since that was how they had already communicated with Oxmyx.

    Blog text (27)

  • After replacing the old antenna, we need to retune the television to get clearer channels.

  • To improve the sound quality, he decided to retune the radio to a more suitable frequency.

  • If your radio is not picking up stations well, try to retune it to see if that helps.

Synonyms

to tune
vsto retune
  • Specialized
125 3.2

Adjust a machine or system so it works better

focuses on changing settings or frequency to improve radio or television reception
to recalibrate
vsto retune
  • Specialized
21 6.5

Adjust a device or instrument so it works correctly

is about altering settings or frequency to improve reception rather than measurement accuracy
to rechannel
vsto retune
  • Specialized
6.8

To change the channel or frequency on a radio

focuses on adjusting device settings or frequency to improve reception rather than just switching

How Accurate

to recalibrate
  • Specialized
21 6.5
to fine-tune
26 4.2
to retune
2 4.5
to adjust
317 2.7

Surface Forms

retune infinitive
retuned past
retuned past participle
retuning present participle
retunes third person singular

Morphology

retune = tune (transparent) = re + tune

This is a standard and productive use of 're-' meaning to tune again or readjust.

Etymology

Retune is made of re- 'again' and tune 'to set the sound or frequency'. So to retune a radio, TV, or engine is to 'set it again' to the right frequency or settings so it works better.