eighth note

noun

, Music.

1. a note having one eighth of the time value of a whole note; quaver.

eighth note

noun

1. music a note having the time value of an eighth of a semibreve Also called (in Britain and certain other countries)quaver

Word History and Origins

Origin of eighth note¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

For example, in the rhyme “Banbury Cross,” the patsching eighth notes in measures 3 and 4 could be mimicking the hoofbeats of the horse.

From Literature

You may have noticed that some of the eighth notes in Figure 1.39 don't have flags; instead they have a beam connecting them to another eighth note.

From Literature

When orchestra rehearsals started Feb. 14, Nézet-Séguin shortened a 16th note here, lengthened an eighth note there as he sang the vocals — including the Celestial Voice ending the auto-da-fé.

From Seattle Times

The score is in cut time, so he started by following that, speeding up the eighth notes and taking a wider view of the movement.

From New York Times

Music is now the white eighth notes on a red background, Mail is the white envelope on a blue background, the Safari compass has been placed on a white background, etc.

From The Verge