Dictionary.com

microtone

[ mahy-kruh-tohn ]
/ ˈmaɪ krəˌtoʊn /
Save This Word!

noun
any musical interval smaller than a semitone, specifically, a quarter tone.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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
FEEDBACK