MODULATE

modulate

(verb) vary the frequency, amplitude, phase, or other characteristic of (electromagnetic waves)

modulate

(verb) adjust the pitch, tone, or volume of

regulate, modulate

(verb) fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of; “regulate the temperature”; “modulate the pitch”

tone, inflect, modulate

(verb) vary the pitch of one’s speech

modulate

(verb) change the key of, in music; “modulate the melody”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

modulate (third-person singular simple present modulates, present participle modulating, simple past and past participle modulated)

(transitive) To regulate, adjust or adapt

(transitive) To change the pitch, intensity or tone of one's voice or of a musical instrument

(transitive, electronics) to vary the amplitude, frequency or phase of a carrier wave in proportion to the amplitude etc of a source wave (such as speech or music)

(intransitive, music) to move from one key or tonality to another, especially by using a chord progression

Source: Wiktionary


Mod"u*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Modulated; p. pr. & vb. n. Modulating.] Etym: [L. modulatus, p.p. of modulari to measure, to modulate, fr. modulus a small measure, meter, melody, dim. of modus. See Mode.]

1. To form, as sound, to a certain key, or to a certain portion.

2. To vary or inflect in a natural, customary, or musical manner; as, the organs of speech modulate the voice in reading or speaking. Could any person so modulate her voice as to deceive so many Broome.

Mod"u*late, v. i. (Mus.)

Definition: To pass from one key into another.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

10 March 2025

FABLED

(adjective) celebrated in fable or legend; “the fabled Paul Bunyan and his blue ox”; “legendary exploits of Jesse James”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee starts as a yellow berry, changes into a red berry, and then is picked by hand to harvest. The red berry is de-shelled through a water soaking process and what’s left inside is the green coffee bean. This bean then dries in the sun for 3-5 days, where it is then packed and ready for sale.

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