subharmonic

American

[suhb-hahr-mon-ik] / ˌsʌb hɑrˈmɒn ɪk /

noun

Physics.

an oscillation that has a frequency which is an integral submultiple of the frequency of a related oscillation.

subharmonic British

/ ˌsʌbhɑːˈmɒnɪk /

noun

a fraction of a frequency

"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 subharmonic

sub- + harmonic

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.

So far she has mastered the subharmonic octave, third, second and fifth.

From New York Times • May 14, 2011

She is now pursuing the elusive subharmonic fourth, undeterred by a suspicion that it may be an impossibility.

From New York Times • May 14, 2011

Step 1 in producing a subharmonic is “clunk,” a brusque, decisive smack of the bow on the G string.

From New York Times • May 14, 2011

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023