tuning fork
4
4.5
- noun
- /ˈtjuːnɪŋ fɔrk/
:
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.
- He, Well, he said there was a row of giant tuning forks in the the grand Gallery going up to the King's chamber.
- This is just like a tuning fork.
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?
-
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
- Specialized
5
4.3
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
5.1
4
4.5
- Specialized
9
7.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
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.