semiquaver

[ sem-ee-kwey-ver ]

nounMusic (chiefly British).

a sixteenth note.

Origin of semiquaver

First recorded in 1570–80; semi- + quaver

Also called demiquaver.

Words Nearby semiquaver

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

How to use semiquaver in a sentence

From time to time a curious syncopated semiquaver figure is heard in the upper part: it may be intended to represent sobbing.
The Pianoforte Sonata | J.S. Shedlock
And as the preceding semiquaver rang a handbell, this shaked the sprinkle with his fist.
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Complete. | Francois Rabelais
The breve and the semiquaver is, we must have the descant you made upon our names, ere you depart.
The Works of John Marston | John Marston

British Dictionary definitions for semiquaver

semiquaver

/ (ˈsɛmɪˌkweɪvə) /

noun

music a note having the time value of one-sixteenth of a semibreve: Usual US and Canadian name: sixteenth note

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

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