octave

plural octaves

1. entertainmentAn interval of twelve semitones spanning eight degrees of the diatonic scale, representing a doubling or halving in pitch frequency.

   The octave has a pitch ratio of 2:1.

   2 more examples

   The melody jumps up an octave at the beginning, then later drops back down an octave.

   The singer was known for astounding clarity over her entire five-octave range.

2. entertainmentThe pitch an octave higher than a given pitch.

   The bass starts on a low E, and the tenor comes in on the octave.

3. entertainmentA coupler on an organ which allows the organist to sound the note an octave above the note of the key pressed (cf sub-octave)
4. communicationsA poetic stanza consisting of eight lines; usually used as one part of a sonnet.

   With mournful melody it continued this octave.

   The New Arcadia

   a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC

5. fencingThe eighth defensive position, with the sword hand held at waist height, and the tip of the sword out straight at knee level.

   If they always do a lateral parry quarte, and never a semicircular octave, that gives you an opening.

   2009, Ray Finkleman, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

6. ChristianityThe day that is one week after a feast day in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church.

   It was extended to the entire Church by 1814, and then in 1913 the feast was transferred to September 15, the octave day of the Birth of Mary and the day after the Exaltation of the Cross.

   2014, Jennifer Gregory Miller, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

   1 more example

   […] the Chamberlains' records of the companies' visits to their towns are, for the most part, not precisely dates, but merely group them together […] within their annual accounting period which normally […] ran from Michaelmas (29 September) to Michaelmas, or its octave (6 October).

   2000, John Southworth, Shakespeare the Player

7. ChristianityAn eight-day period beginning on a feast day in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church.

   1870, The Night Hours of the Church, trans. Rev. J. M. Neale Of an Octave the Office is said. or at least commemorated, (when any Sunday or Feast intervene), for eight successive days.

8. A small cask of wine, one eighth of a pipe.
9. obsoletemathematicsAn octonion.
10. computingAny of a number of coherent-noise functions of differing frequency that are added together to form Perlin noise.
11. astrologyThe subjective vibration of a planet.

    Mercury then joins its higher octave and generous counterpart Jupiter early next week, and it opens gates of opportunity.

    2016, Kristin Fontana, The Beach Reporter

present singular third person octaves · participle present octaving · participle past octaved · past octaved

1. alternativeAlternative form of octavate.

1. not comparableobsoleteConsisting of eight; eight in number.

   Boccace[…] is said to have invented the octave rhye

   1700, [John] Dryden, Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC