microtone

[ mahy-kruh-tohn ]
/ ˈmaɪ krəˌtoʊn /

noun

any musical interval smaller than a semitone, specifically, a quarter tone.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of microtone

First recorded in 1915–20; micro- + tone

OTHER WORDS FROM microtone

mi·cro·ton·al, adjectivemi·cro·to·nal·i·ty, nounmi·cro·ton·al·ly, adverb

Words nearby microtone

microtherm, microthin, microtia, microtome, microtomy, microtone, microtopography, microtremor, microtubule, microvasculature, microvillus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for microtone

microtone
/ (ˈmaɪkrəʊˌtəʊn) /

noun

any musical interval smaller than a semitone

Derived forms of microtone

microtonal, adjectivemicrotonality, nounmicrotonally, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012