harmonic

[hahr-mon-ik]

adjective

1. pertaining to harmony, as distinguished from melody and rhythm.

2. marked by harmony; in harmony; concordant; consonant.

3. Physics.,  of, relating to, or noting a series of oscillations in which each oscillation has a frequency that is an integral multiple of the same basic frequency.

4. Mathematics.

   1. (of a set of values) related in a manner analogous to the frequencies of tones that are consonant.

   2. capable of being represented by sine and cosine functions.

   3. (of a function) satisfying the Laplace equation.

noun

1. Music.,  overtone.

2. Physics.,  a single oscillation whose frequency is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency.

harmonic

/ hɑːˈmɒnɪk /

adjective

1. of, involving, producing, or characterized by harmony; harmonious

2. music of, relating to, or belonging to harmony

3. maths

   1. capable of expression in the form of sine and cosine functions

   2. of or relating to numbers whose reciprocals form an arithmetic progression

4. physics of or concerned with an oscillation that has a frequency that is an integral multiple of a fundamental frequency

5. physics of or concerned with harmonics

noun

1. physics music a component of a periodic quantity, such as a musical tone, with a frequency that is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency. The first harmonic is the fundamental, the second harmonic (twice the fundamental frequency) is the first overtone , the third harmonic (three times the fundamental frequency) is the second overtone, etc

2. music (not in technical use) overtone: in this case, the first overtone is the first harmonic, etc

harmonic

1. Periodic motion whose frequency is a whole-number multiple of some fundamental frequency. The motion of objects or substances that vibrate or oscillate in a regular fashion, such as the strings of musical instruments, can be analyzed as a combination of a fundamental frequency and higher harmonics.

2. ◆ Harmonics above the first harmonic (the fundamental frequency) in sound waves are called overtones. The first overtone is the second harmonic, the second overtone is the third harmonic, and so on.

1. Related to or having the properties of such periodic motion.

Other Word Forms

• harmonically adverb
• harmonicalness noun
• nonharmonic adjective
• unharmonic adjective
• unharmonically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of harmonic¹

1560–70; < Latin harmonicus < Greek harmonikós musical, suitable. See harmony, -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of harmonic¹

C16: from Latin harmonicus relating to _harmony

Example Sentences

There’s no banjo, slide, or pedal-steel guitar here, and the arrangements zero in on simplicity, conveying harmonic structure and mood with only essential instrumentation, which keeps the emphasis on the songwriting.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Graphene has long been a promising candidate for HHG research, but its perfect symmetry restricts it to producing only odd harmonics -- frequencies that are odd multiples of the original light source.

Read more on Science Daily

The significant difference in the masses of the colliding black holes also produced a "higher harmonic," a kind of overtone similar to those heard in musical instruments.

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After revisiting Edgard Varèse’s music, he built upon Varèse’s ideas about building and extending musical structures that are independent from standard harmonic progressions.

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“Like, not to get too nerdy about it, but there really is this harmonic language that’s only in Springfield.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• melodic 
• symphonic