microtone

noun

mi·​cro·​tone ˈmī-krə-ˌtōn How to pronounce microtone (audio)
: a musical interval smaller than a halftone
microtonal adjective
microtonality noun
microtonally adverb

Examples of microtone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The relationship that forms between the two seemingly antithetical women covers vast psychological terrain, from admiration to envy, love to revulsion, mapped in every twitch of the head and microtone. Mallika Rao, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2021 The electronic music of the shopping mall gave way to spartan strains of Arabic music with its tangy microtones. David Patrick Stearns, Philly.com, 15 June 2018 And there’s a lot of mystery in those 'between' notes, the microtones. David Lindquist, Indianapolis Star, 14 July 2017 Players were often asked to abandon the standard twelve pitches: glissandos, microtones, whistling harmonics, and other breathy noises proliferated. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2017 There, Levi conjured a Stygian exoplanet of glissandos and microtones and processed percussive sounds, evoking the truly alien better than the most lavish special effects ever could have done. Adam Davidson, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2017 He was often treated as an outsider artist for his protean interests, which included Indonesian gamelans, Esperanto and microtones. Carolina A. Miranda, latimes.com, 19 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microtone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of microtone was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near microtone

Cite this Entry

“Microtone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microtone. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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