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| in·to·nate [ íntə nàyt ] (past and past participle in·to·nat·ed, present participle in·to·nat·ing, 3rd person present singular in·to·nates) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive verb say something in particular way: to say something with a particular tone of voice
  The way she intonated the word "society" indicated her deep contempt for what it represented.
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2. intransitive verb phonetics speak with varying pitch: to speak with the rising and falling pitch that is characteristic of ordinary speech
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3. transitive verb phonetics pronounce consonant with voicing: to pronounce a consonant with a vibration of the vocal cords, as English speakers do when they pronounce the consonant "v" as opposed to the consonant "f"
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| [Late 18th century. < medieval Latin intonat-, past participle of intonare (see intone)] |
