semitone

American  

[sem-ee-tohn, sem-ahy-] / ˈsɛm iˌtoʊn, ˈsɛm aɪ- /

noun

Music.

1. a pitch interval halfway between two whole tones.

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semitone British  

/ ˌsɛmɪˈtɒnɪk, ˈsɛmɪˌtəʊn /

noun

1. Also called (US and Canadian): half step.  an interval corresponding to a frequency difference of 100 cents as measured in the system of equal temperament, and denoting the pitch difference between certain adjacent degrees of the diatonic scale ( diatonic semitone ) or between one note and its sharpened or flattened equivalent ( chromatic semitone ); minor second Compare whole tone

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Other Word Forms

• semitonal adjective
• semitonally adverb
• semitonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of semitone

First recorded in 1600–10; semi- + tone

Example Sentences

An example of the transformed mood is the ending of the Carlos-Élisabeth duet, sung a semitone lower in the 1867 French.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2022

“The only problem,” he says, “was that the harpsichord was tuned a semitone flat.”

From Washington Post • May 11, 2018

Wonder’s instrument, on the other hand, the chromatic harmonica, has a stopper that shifts the pitch up a semitone, giving the player access to a full 12-note scale.

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2016

Eventually, she and Witness created a musical diptych, with two versions of “Hotline Bling,” a semitone apart, separated by a spoken interlude, purportedly the outgoing message on Badu’s cell phone:

From The New Yorker • Apr. 25, 2016

The difference between them is less than a quarter of a semitone.

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