tritone

[ trahy-tohn ]

noun

, Music.

1. an interval consisting of three whole tones; an augmented fourth.

tritone

/ ˈtraɪˌtəʊn /

noun

1. a musical interval consisting of three whole tones; augmented fourth

Word History and Origins

Origin of tritone¹

1600–10; < Medieval Latin tritonus < Greek trítonos having three tones. See tri-, tone

Example Sentences

Both are six half-steps, or three whole tones, so another term for this interval is a tritone.

From Literature

You have probably noticed by now that the tritone is not the only interval that can be "spelled" in more than one way.

From Literature

Although it wasn’t conscious, I swear to God, there are similarities between my so-called “Hamlet” chord and the “Tristan” chord, in that they both have the same augmented fourth — a tritone — at the base of it, F and B.

From New York Times

But as soon as you color it, destabilize it with the F and the tritone at the bottom, it becomes very different.

From New York Times

Write the notes out as a single chord, and you draw a tower of fifths wavering over a tritone in the bass.

From New York Times