absolute pitch

American  

noun

Music.

1. the exact pitch of a tone in terms of vibrations per second.

2. Also called perfect pitch.  the ability to sing or recognize the pitch of a tone by ear.

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absolute pitch British  

noun

1. Also called (not in technical usage): perfect pitch.  the ability to identify exactly the pitch of a note without comparing it to another

2. the exact pitch of a note determined by its number of vibrations per second

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Etymology

Origin of absolute pitch

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

She now works at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, on Long Island, studying the genetic basis of absolute pitch.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2016

Ms. Kowalsky helped create an app to test for absolute pitch.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2016

"It's quite remarkable since there are no known reports of adults acquiring absolute pitch," says biologist Takao Hensch.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2014

By contrast, people who grew up speaking tonal languages, like Chinese, develop absolute pitch much more often.

From Slate • Jul. 25, 2012

A few people have what is called perfect pitch or absolute pitch.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones