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harmonic

 - 3 dictionary results

har⋅mon⋅ic

  [hahr-mon-ik]
Use harmonic in a Sentence
–adjective
1. pertaining to harmony, as distinguished from melody and rhythm.
2. marked by harmony; in harmony; concordant; consonant.
3. Physics. of, pertaining to, or noting a series of oscillations in which each oscillation has a frequency that is an integral multiple of the same basic frequency.
4. Mathematics.
a. (of a set of values) related in a manner analogous to the frequencies of tones that are consonant.
b. capable of being represented by sine and cosine functions.
c. (of a function) satisfying the Laplace equation.
–noun
5. Music. overtone (def. 1).
6. Physics. a single oscillation whose frequency is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency.
Origin:
1560–70; < L harmonicus < Gk harmonikós musical, suitable. See harmony, -ic

Related forms:
har⋅mon⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
har⋅mon⋅i⋅cal⋅ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To harmonic
har·mon·ic   (här-mŏn'ĭk)   
adj.  

    1. Of or relating to harmony.

    2. Pleasing to the ear: harmonic orchestral effects.

    3. Characterized by harmony: a harmonic liturgical chant.

  2. Of or relating to harmonics.

  3. Integrated in nature.

n.  

    1. Any of a series of musical tones whose frequencies are integral multiples of the frequency of a fundamental tone.

    2. A tone produced on a stringed instrument by lightly touching an open or stopped vibrating string at a given fraction of its length so that both segments vibrate. Also called overtone, partial, partial tone.

  2. harmonics (used with a sing. verb) The theory or study of the physical properties and characteristics of musical sound.

  3. Physics A wave whose frequency is a whole-number multiple of that of another.


[Latin harmonicus, from Greek harmonikos, from harmoniā, harmony; see harmony.]
har·mon'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

harmonic 
1531 (implied in harmonical), from L. harmonicus, from Gk. harmonikos "harmonic, musical," from harmonia (see harmony). First record of verb harmonize is from 1483.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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