monotone

adj

1. Having a single unvaried pitch.

   “The prominence of the syllables is more monotone than in English, the intonation of the latter having a larger variation of stressed and unstressed syllables.”

   “In the formal register, such variation is reduced and the talk has a more monotone, business-like quality.”

2. Of a function: that is always nonincreasing or nondecreasing on an interval.

   “The function f(x)#58;#61;x³ is monotone on #92;R, while g(x)#58;#61;x² is not.”

3. Synonym of monochrome.

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A single unvaried tone of speech or a sound.

   “When Tima felt like her parents were treating her like a servant, she would speak in monotone and act as though she were a robot.”

   “It is no very difficult matter to be loud in a high tone of voice; but to be loud and forcible in a low tone, requires great practice and management; this, however, may be facilitated by pronouncing forcibly at firſt in a low monotone; a monotone, though in a low key, and without force, is much more ſonorous and audible than when the voice ſlides up and down at almoſt every word, as it muſt do to be various.”

   “There is a water-break formed by a small terrace of rock in mid-stream, and purling with a hollow, delicious monotone—an island of pebbles is above, with here and there smaller ones near the "forks."”

2. (countable, uncountable)A piece of writing in one strain throughout.

verb

1. (ambitransitive)To speak in a monotone.