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undertone

noun [C] (CHARACTERISTIC)
 
 
/ˈʌn.də.təʊn/ US  /-dɚ.toʊn/

Definition

a particular but not obvious characteristic that a piece of writing or speech, an event, or a situation has: I thought her speech had slightly sinister undertones. It was a comedy act with an undertone of cruelty.Conditions and characteristics
(Definition of undertone noun (CHARACTERISTIC) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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