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Definition of partial tone - 3 dictionary results

partial tone

–noun Acoustics, Music.
one of the pure tones forming a part of a complex tone.
Also called partial.


Origin:
1875–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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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.

  1. Of or relating to harmonics.

  2. 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.

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

  2. 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.
partial tone  
n.  See harmonic.
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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