octave

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“
Instantly the octave was abandoned and the socks were dropped.

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Definitions (41)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (13)

  1. noun Music The interval of eight diatonic degrees between two tones of the same name, the higher of which has twice as many vibrations per second as the lower.
  2. noun Music A tone that is eight diatonic degrees above or below another given tone.
  3. noun Music Two tones eight diatonic degrees apart that are sounded together.
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Examples (50)

  • Her voice dropped an octave, and she was suddenly businesslike. —  F ;SF; - vol 101 issue 01 - July 2001
  • Her voice rose an octave, and she seemed astonished that he would ask her such a question. —  Garwood, Julie - Rose 4 - One Red Rose
  • Each one of the seven basic notes of the octave is associated in Hindu mythology with a color, and the natural cry of a bird or beast-DO with green, and the peacock; RE with red, and the skylark; MI with golden, and the goat; FA with yellowish white, and the heron; SOL with black, and the nightingale; LA with yellow, and the horse; SI with a combination of all colors, and the elephant. —  Autobiography of a Yogi
  • (The high end of the octave is considered a repetition of the low end, but at twice the frequency.) —  Conservapedia - Recent changes [en]
  • I call the octave, The Octave and the bowlback, The Bowlback. —  Mandolin Cafe News
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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, eighth day after a feast day, from Old French, from Medieval Latin octāva (diēs), from Latin, feminine of octāvus, eighth, from octō, eight; see oktō(u) in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from French octave = Spanish octava = Portuguese oitava = Italian ottava, from Latin octava (sc. hora, hour, or pars, part), the eighth hour of the day, the eighth part, Middle Latin, in music, the octave, feminine of octavus, eighth, from octo = English eight: see eight. Cf. outas.
  2. from octave, n.
 

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/ˈɑkteɪv/
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