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



RESET




Word of the Day

28 May 2025

AIR

(noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; “an air of mystery”; “the house had a neglected air”; “an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate’s headquarters”; “the place had an aura of romance”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee comes from a chemical process that takes out caffeine from the beans. Pharmaceutical and soda companies buy the extracted caffeine.

coffee icon