tritone

noun

tri·​tone ˈtrī-ˌtōn 

: a musical interval of three whole steps

Examples of tritone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Every time an event, anywhere in the world, crosses a threshold on the Richter scale, the installation is dominated by a tritone played on a punk bass. — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 10 June 2026

Unlike the tritones that draw first blood on Stateless, the record opens gently with a series of volume swells that seem to invert Dorji’s typical approach to his instrument. — James Gui, Pitchfork, 5 Feb. 2026

Iommi added the diabolus in musica, an eerie tritone musical interval denounced as unholy and dangerous since the Middle Ages. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 July 2025

Then, as Claire looks into the eyes of a coyote and senses chaotic energies rising within her, the hum gravitates downward, with double-basses and piano slithering across the classically diabolical interval of the tritone. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024

Something akin to obsession followed, as composers used tritones to probe the darker corners of nature and humanity. — Staff, Quartz, 25 Sep. 2024

Its official title, the tritone, was a chord or interval of notes that was dubbed Diabolus in musica (devil in music) due to its evil sounding harmony. — Cameron K McEwan, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2024

Bulgari is also making history by adding a new tune to a range of chiming timepieces, introducing tritone harmonic intervals, created in collaboration with the Italian-Swiss conductor Lorenzo Viotti. — Luisa Zargani, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Greek tritonon, from tri- + tonos tone

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tritone

• brighten
• chitin
• frighten
• heighten
• lighten
• phaeton
• tighten
• titan
• triton
• whiten
• enlighten
• exciton