semiquaver

American  

[sem-ee-kwey-ver] / ˈsɛm iˌkweɪ vər /

noun

Music (chiefly British).

1. a sixteenth note.

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semiquaver British  

/ ˈsɛmɪˌkweɪvə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of semiquaver

First recorded in 1570–80; semi- + quaver

Example Sentences

Schiff delivers it matter-of-factly, punctuated by his brief, semiquaver laugh.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2013

The voice, but for being perhaps a semiquaver deeper, is the very one that has moved millions.

From Time Magazine Archive

The next note, G, is just one semiquaver.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

One is a rapid, sinuous, twisting, shifty semiquaver figure suggested by the unsubstantial, elusive logic-spinning of the clever one's braincraft.

From The Perfect Wagnerite, Commentary on the Ring by Shaw, Bernard

Then a tone-picture is given of the encounter; the heavy tread of the Philistine is heard in the bass, while semiquaver passages, evolved from a figure in the preceding movement, evidently portray the spirited youth.

From The Pianoforte Sonata Its Origin and Development by Shedlock, J. S. (John South)