octave

American  

[ok-tiv, -teyv] / ˈɒk tɪv, -teɪv /

noun

1. Music.

   1. a tone on the eighth degree from a given tone.

   2. the interval encompassed by such tones.

   3. the harmonic combination of such tones.

   4. a series of tones, or of keys of an instrument, extending through this interval.

2. a pipe-organ stop whose pipes give tones an octave above the normal pitch of the keys used.

3. a series or group of eight.

4. Also called octet.  Prosody.

   1. a group of eight lines of verse, especially the first eight lines of a sonnet in the Italian form.

   2. a stanza of eight lines.

5. the eighth of a series.

6. Ecclesiastical.

   1. the eighth day from a feast day, counting the feast day as the first.

   2. the period of eight days beginning with a feast day.

7. one eighth of a pipe of wine.

8. Fencing. the eighth of eight defensive positions.

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adjective

1. pitched an octave higher.

octave British  

/ ˈɒktɪv /

noun

1. 1. the interval between two musical notes one of which has twice the pitch of the other and lies eight notes away from it counting inclusively along the diatonic scale

   2. one of these two notes, esp the one of higher pitch

   3. ( as modifier ) See also perfect diminished interval

      an octave leap

2. prosody a rhythmic group of eight lines of verse

3. 1. a feast day and the seven days following

   2. the final day of this period

4. the eighth of eight basic positions in fencing

5. any set or series of eight

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adjective

1. consisting of eight parts

octave Cultural  

1. An interval between musical notes in which the higher note is six whole tones, or twelve half tones, above the lower. From the standpoint of physics, the higher note has twice the frequency of the lower. Notes that are an octave apart, or a whole number of octaves apart, sound in some ways like the same note and have the same letter for their names.

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Other Word Forms

• octaval adjective

Etymology

Origin of octave

1300–50; Middle English < Latin octāva eighth part, noun use of feminine of octāvus, equivalent to oct- oct- + -āvus adj. suffix

Example Sentences

She finishes in a voice half an octave too high, and I know this means Rose must be returning from the bathroom.

From Literature

She’d dropped her voice an octave, in a pretty decent imitation of Dad.

From Literature

My voice goes up an octave, edging dangerously close to a babyish whine.

From Literature

She dialed her voice to its sweetest octave, her face to its most innocent, girlish mask.

From Literature

It can elegantly vault octaves, scoop notes without a croaky glottal fry and crack words into multi-note, velvety yodels.

From Los Angeles Times