1. A very slight difference in meaning, feeling, tone, or color: The nuances in Rebecca's tone of voice while talking about her late husband conveyed a feeling of gloom and melancholy.
2. The use or awareness of subtle shades of meaning or feeling; especially, with references to artistic expressions or performances: The pianist performed the pieces with complete mastery of all of the nuances of the tones in the music.
3. A subtle deviation in meanings, opinions, or attitudes; hence, a slight degree of perceivable variations in anything apparent to the mind: The contrasts in the appearances of the twin boys was only detectable if given close attention; since there were only very slight nuances in details that revealed their individualities.
4. Etymology: from French nuance, "slight difference, shade of color" (so called with reference to the dissimilar colors of the clouds); from nuer, "to shade"; from nue, "cloud", from Gallo-Romance nuba; from Latin nubes, "cloud"; related to obnubere, "to veil". © ALL rights are reserved.

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