partial tone

American  

noun

Acoustics, Music.

1. one of the pure tones forming a part of a complex tone.

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Etymology

Origin of partial tone

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

This depends on the number of vibrations of one tone, predominant in intensity over the others, called the fundamental or ground tone, or first partial tone.

From Project Gutenberg

Only such sounds are consonant as possess in common some portion of their partial tones.

From Project Gutenberg

The brilliant sonorousness and roundness of the timbre of the horn are due to the strength and predominance of the partial tones up to the 7th or 8th.

From Project Gutenberg

The higher sounds that accompany the fundamental are called sometimes harmonics, sometimes upper partial tones, but generally overtones.

From Project Gutenberg

High sounds cannot obliterate low ones, but, on the contrary, the sensation of each partial tone of which compound musical sounds is formed is diminished by all the tones below it in pitch.

From Project Gutenberg