diminished seventh chord

British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: diminished seventh.  a chord often used in an enharmonic modulation and very common in modern music, esp jazz and pop music, consisting of a diminished triad with an added diminished seventh above the root

---

Example Sentences

The novel's ending is both bravura and brave: it closes like a diminished seventh chord, an awful pause that could resolve itself into different cadences.

From The Guardian

"When the gentlemen can think of nothing new, and can go no further, they quickly call in a diminished seventh chord to help them out of the predicament."

From Project Gutenberg