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

She now works at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, on Long Island, studying the genetic basis of 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

And while there probably isn’t a single perfect pitch gene, a few scientists have located stretches of DNA, including two on chromosome 8, common in Europeans with absolute pitch.

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