harmonics
Americannoun
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(used with a singular verb) the science of musical sounds.
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(used with a plural verb) the partials or overtones of a fundamental tone.
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(used with a plural verb) the flageoletlike tones of a string, as a violin string, made to vibrate so as to bring out an overtone.
noun
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(functioning as singular) the science of musical sounds and their acoustic properties
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(functioning as plural) the overtones of a fundamental note, as produced by lightly touching the string of a stringed instrument at one of its node points while playing See harmonic
Etymology
Origin of harmonics
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.
At the top of the machine is a smaller coil that produces frequencies and harmonics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Researchers later realized this pattern resembles the harmonics of a vibrating string.
From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026
Even harmonics, which are essential for expanding practical uses of this technology, have been much harder to achieve.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2025
I like odd chord changes; when I was singing with the Jazz Passengers, that was sort of like going to college for me, they used all kinds of time signatures and harmonics and things.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025
What is a string player doing when she plays "harmonics"? Why do some notes sound good together while other notes seem to clash with each other?
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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