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Glite Dictionary
tuning fork

tuning fork

4 4.5
A small metal tool with two prongs that makes a clear sound to help find the right musical note
  • noun
  • /ˈtjuːnɪŋ fɔrk/
translation icon : diapasón
  • Its design, incorporating a 440 hertz "A" tuning fork, stands for high standards, said MENC President Dorothy Straub.
  • tuning fork vibrates
  • tuning fork testing
  • use a tuning fork

He, Well, he said there was a row of giant tuning forks in the the grand Gallery going up to the King's chamber.

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Examples

  • Prior to testing, the accuracy of the radar gun was calibrated using a tuning fork specifically designed for this purpose.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The patient said the sound from the 512- and 2,048-Hz tuning forks was louder in the right ear than in the left.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The patient exhibited no response to tuning-fork testing.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Out of his pocket, he takes a carefully wrapped tuning fork.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • And if I hit the tuning fork, I think you can hear quite clearly that the fork is amplifying the sound.

  • You don't have another one of those tuning forks, do you?

    Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)

  • Striking a tuning fork will vibrate another tuning fork some distance away.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Almost two years ago, at Tian's recital, a friend of Lydia's had returned the tuning fork she had borrowed for an orchestra rehearsal.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The musician struck the tuning fork to set the pitch before beginning to play.

  • When he tapped the tuning fork, the clear tone filled the room, helping everyone tune their instruments.

How Stable

atomic clock
  • Specialized
5 4.3
crystal oscillator
  • Specialized
6.9
quartz crystal
  • Specialized
1 5.1
tuning fork
4 4.5
resonator
  • Specialized
9 7.6

Surface Forms

tuning fork singular
tuning forks plural

Morphology

tuning + fork

The meaning is directly derivable from 'tuning' (adjusting pitch) + 'fork' (a two-pronged metal implement): it denotes a fork-shaped tool used for tuning, which follows a transparent noun–noun compounding pattern. This composition is conceptually clear and cross-linguistically intuitive, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun tuning fork comes from a small metal tool shaped like a two-pronged fork that, when struck, makes a steady musical tuning note. Musicians use that clear sound to 'tune' instruments and doctors sometimes use the vibration to test 'hearing', so the name shows the tool's purpose.