tuning fork

noun

: a 2-pronged metal implement that gives a fixed tone when struck and is useful for tuning musical instruments and ascertaining standard pitch

Illustration of tuning fork

Examples of tuning fork in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But artists just serve as a tuning fork to heal, as a tuning fork to dream. —Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Nov. 2025

Thanks to Euclid, our view of the galactic tuning fork is changing and becoming far more detailed, leading to a better understanding of galactic structure and evolution. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 18 Nov. 2025

Remember being in a room with the holy spirit humming like a tuning fork. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2025

The sound of the tuning forks was then digitally manipulated to fit the pitch of the music and timed to match any moves the characters make. —Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tuning fork

• bork
• dork
• pork
• stork
• torque
• pitchfork

Kids Definition

tuning fork

noun

: a metal instrument that gives a fixed tone when struck and is useful in tuning musical instruments

Medical Definition

tuning fork

noun

tun·​ing fork ˈt(y)ün-iŋ- 

: a 2-pronged metal implement that gives a fixed tone when struck