absolute pitch
Americannoun
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the exact pitch of a tone in terms of vibrations per second.
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Also called perfect pitch. the ability to sing or recognize the pitch of a tone by ear.
noun
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Also called (not in technical usage): perfect pitch. the ability to identify exactly the pitch of a note without comparing it to another
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the exact pitch of a note determined by its number of vibrations per second
Etymology
Origin of absolute pitch
First recorded in 1860–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Kowalsky helped create an app to test for absolute pitch.
From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2016
"It's quite remarkable since there are no known reports of adults acquiring absolute pitch," says biologist Takao Hensch.
From Slate • Jan. 10, 2014
By contrast, people who grew up speaking tonal languages, like Chinese, develop absolute pitch much more often.
From Slate • Jul. 25, 2012
It is prose written with absolute pitch, a perfect ear.
From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2010
By the end of the second day I was getting very hungry and a bit tired of sitting in absolute pitch dark.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
