semitone

American  

[sem-ee-tohn, sem-ahy-] / ˈsɛm iˌtoʊn, ˈsɛm aɪ- /

noun

Music.

1. a pitch interval halfway between two whole tones.

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semitone British  

/ ˈsɛmɪˌtəʊn /

noun

1. Also called (US and Canadian): half step. an interval corresponding to a frequency difference of 100 cents as measured in the system of equal temperament, and denoting the pitch difference between certain adjacent degrees of the diatonic scale ( diatonic semitone ) or between one note and its sharpened or flattened equivalent ( chromatic semitone ); minor second Compare whole tone

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Other Word Forms

• semitonal
  adjective
• semitonic
  adjective
• semitonally
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of semitone

First recorded in 1600–10; semi- + tone

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

semitone

An example of the transformed mood is the ending of the Carlos-Élisabeth duet, sung a semitone lower in the 1867 French.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2022

“Trauermarsch” is based on a falling semitone, G flat down to F, that instantly recalls fateful motifs in Wagner and Mahler, but it takes those associations in a direction wholly new.

From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2020

“The only problem,” he says, “was that the harpsichord was tuned a semitone flat.”

From Washington Post ● May 11, 2018

Wonder’s instrument, on the other hand, the chromatic harmonica, has a stopper that shifts the pitch up a semitone, giving the player access to a full 12-note scale.

From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2016

Why is a cent the hundredth root of a semitone, and why is a semitone the twelfth root of an octave?

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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