absolute pitch

American  

noun

Music.

1. the exact pitch of a tone in terms of vibrations per second.

2. Also called perfect pitch.  the ability to sing or recognize the pitch of a tone by ear.

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absolute pitch British  

noun

1. Also called (not in technical usage): perfect pitch.  the ability to identify exactly the pitch of a note without comparing it to another

2. the exact pitch of a note determined by its number of vibrations per second

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Etymology

Origin of absolute pitch

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Margulis and her team also find that our ability to track absolute pitch may affect how emotional we feel when listening to music.

From Scientific American

Pinto believes that everyone is born with the potential to have absolute pitch but that most seeing people lose the ability as sight takes over as their dominant sense.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms. Kowalsky helped create an app to test for absolute pitch.

From New York Times

The 29-year-old said he realized he had perfect, or absolute pitch, when he was a boy.

From Salon

The blacks were absolute pitch black, while the images were so crystal clear that you could see Tom Cruise’s reflection alongside the glass windows as he made his way up.

From Forbes