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semiquaver

American  
[sem-ee-kwey-ver] / ˈsɛm iˌkweɪ vər /

noun

Music (chiefly British).
  1. a sixteenth note.


semiquaver British  
/ ˈsɛmɪˌkweɪvə /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of semiquaver

First recorded in 1570–80; semi- + quaver

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

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

This theme is a very high, swift, semiquaver passage for violins, with some occasional help from the wood wind.

From Shakespeare and Music by Wilson, Christopher

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)

It commences, not, as in most cases, with the opening theme or figure of the first section, but with a group of semiquaver notes which appears later in that section.

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

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