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definitions

treble

[treb-uh l]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR treble ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

threefold; triple.
Music.
  1. of or relating to the highest part in harmonized music; soprano.
  2. of the highest pitch or range, as a voice part, voice, singer, or instrument.
  3. high in pitch; shrill.

noun

Music.
  1. the treble or soprano part.
  2. a treble voice, singer, or instrument.
a high or shrill voice or sound.
the highest-pitched peal of a bell.

verb (used with or without object), tre·bled, tre·bling.

to make or become three times as much or as many; triple.

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RELATED WORDS

acute, penetrating, piping, piercing, rank, soprano, sharp, shrill, reeking, high-pitched, loud, malodorous, putrid, rancid, shrieky, shrilly, smelly, strident

Nearby words

  1. treaty,
  2. treaty indian,
  3. treaty port,
  4. trebbia,
  5. trebizond,
  6. treble chance,
  7. treble clef,
  8. treble staff,
  9. treblinka,
  10. trebuchet

Origin of treble

1275–1325; (adj. and noun) Middle English < Middle French < Latin triplus triple; (v.) Middle English treblen, derivative of the adj.
Related formstre·bly [treb-lee] /ˈtrɛb li/, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for treble

British Dictionary definitions for treble

treble

adjective

threefold; triple
of, relating to, or denoting a soprano voice or part or a high-pitched instrument

noun

three times the amount, size, etc
a soprano voice or part or a high-pitched instrument
the highest register of a musical instrument
  1. the high-frequency response of an audio amplifier, esp in a record player or tape recorder
  2. a control knob on such an instrument by means of which the high-frequency gain can be increased or decreased
bell-ringing the lightest and highest bell in a ring
  1. the narrow inner ring on a dartboard
  2. a hit on this ring

verb

to make or become three times as much
Derived Formstrebleness, nountrebly, adverb, adjective

Word Origin for treble

C14: from Old French, from Latin triplus threefold, triple
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
Word Origin and History for treble
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper