overtone

[oh-ver-tohn]

noun

1. Music.,  an acoustical frequency that is higher in frequency than the fundamental.

2. an additional, usually subsidiary and implicit meaning or quality.

   an aesthetic theory with definite political overtones.

   Synonyms: hint, intimation, suggestion, insinuation

overtone

/ ˈəʊvəˌtəʊn /

noun

1. (often plural) additional meaning or nuance

   overtones of despair

2. music acoustics any of the tones, with the exception of the fundamental, that constitute a musical sound and contribute to its quality, each having a frequency that is a multiple of the fundamental frequency See also harmonic partial

overtone

1. See under harmonic

Word History and Origins

Origin of overtone¹

1865–70; translation of German Oberton. See over-, tone

Related Words

• connotation 
• flavor 
• meaning 
• nuance 
• tone 
• undercurrent 
• undertone