Overtone Definition

ōvər-tōn
overtones
noun
overtones
An ulterior, usually implicit meaning or quality; an implication or a hint.
An overtone of anger barely masked; praise with overtones of envy.
American Heritage
Any of the attendant higher tones heard with a fundamental tone produced by the vibration of a given string or column of air, having a frequency of vibration that is an exact multiple of the frequency of the fundamental.
Webster's New World
An implication; nuance.
A reply full of overtones.
Webster's New World

An implicit message (in a film, book, verbal discussion or similar) perceived as overwhelming the explicit message. See undertone.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Overtone

Noun

Singular:
overtone
Plural:
overtones

Origin of Overtone

Overtone Sentence Examples

  • The first overtone of the second will beat 64 times per second with the third of the first, and at such height in the scale this frequency will be unpleasant.

  • Unlike the lustrous shades of chocolate colored pearls, natural brown pearls are a warm black-brown color and sometimes have a very slight coppery colored overtone.

  • Thus, suppose a fundamental 256 has present with it overtone harmonics 512, 768, 1024, 1280, &c., and that we sound with it the major seventh with fundamental 480, and having harmonics 960, 1440, &c. The two sets may be arranged thus c 256 512 768 1024 1280 h 480 960 1440, and we see that the fundamental of the second will beat 32 times per second with the first overtone of the first, giving dissonance.

  • Any artistic abilities you may possess are given a strong dramatic overtone.

  • If the fork be mounted on a resonance box or held in front of a cavity resounding to the fundamental and not to the first overtone, the fundamental is brought out in great purity.

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Words Starting With

OOVOVE

Words Ending With

ENEONE

Unscrambles

overtone

Words Starting With O and Ending With E

Starts With O & Ends With EStarts With OV & Ends With EStarts With O & Ends With NE

Word Length

8 Letter Words8 Letter Words Starting With O8 Letter Words Ending With E