*harmonic*

{ } a. [ Gr. 'enarmoniko`s, 'enarmo`nios fitting, accordant; 'en in + "armoni`a harmony: cf. F. enharmonique.]

1. (Anc. Mus.) Of or pertaining to that one of the three kinds of musical scale (diatonic, chromatic, enharmonic) recognized by the ancient Greeks, which consisted of quarter tones and major thirds, and was regarded as the most accurate. [1913 Webster]

2. (Mus.) (a) Pertaining to a change of notes to the eye, while, as the same keys are used, the instrument can mark no difference to the ear, as the substitution of A♭ for G♯. (b) Pertaining to a scale of perfect intonation which recognizes all the notes and intervals that result from the exact tuning of diatonic scales and their transposition into other keys. [1913 Webster]

adv. In the enharmonic style or system; in just intonation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. -eu + harmonic. ] (Mus.) Producing mathematically perfect harmony or concord; sweetly or perfectly harmonious. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mus.) A musical note produced by a number of vibrations which is a multiple of the number producing some other; an overtone. See Harmonics. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Fem. fr. L. harmonicus harmonic. See Harmonic, n. ] 1. A musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones; it is now called the glass harmonica, to distinguish it from the common harmonica, formerly called the harmonicon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A toy instrument of strips of glass or metal hung on two tapes, and struck with hammers. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A small wind musical instrument shaped like a flat bar with holes along the thin edges, held in the hand and producing notes from multiple vibrating reeds arranged inside along its length; it was formerly called the harmonicon. See harmonicon. [ PJC ]

/mhw>, a. [ L. harmonicus, Gr. "armoniko`s; cf. F. harmonique. See Harmony.] 1. Concordant; musical; consonant; as, harmonic sounds. [1913 Webster]

Harmonic twang! of leather, horn, and brass. Pope. [1913 Webster]

2. (Mus.) Relating to harmony, -- as melodic relates to melody; harmonious; esp., relating to the accessory sounds or overtones which accompany the predominant and apparent single tone of any string or sonorous body. [1913 Webster]

3. (Math.) Having relations or properties bearing some resemblance to those of musical consonances; -- said of certain numbers, ratios, proportions, points, lines, motions, and the like. [1913 Webster]

Harmonic interval (Mus.), the distance between two notes of a chord, or two consonant notes. --
Harmonical mean (Arith. & Alg.), certain relations of numbers and quantities, which bear an analogy to musical consonances. --
Harmonic motion, the motion of the point A, of the foot of the perpendicular PA, when P moves uniformly in the circumference of a circle, and PA is drawn perpendicularly upon a fixed diameter of the circle. This is simple harmonic motion. The combinations, in any way, of two or more simple harmonic motions, make other kinds of harmonic motion. The motion of the pendulum bob of a clock is approximately simple harmonic motion. --
Harmonic proportion. See under Proportion. --
Harmonic series or
Harmonic progression. See under Progression. --
Spherical harmonic analysis, a mathematical method, sometimes referred to as that of Laplace's Coefficients, which has for its object the expression of an arbitrary, periodic function of two independent variables, in the proper form for a large class of physical problems, involving arbitrary data, over a spherical surface, and the deduction of solutions for every point of space. The functions employed in this method are called spherical harmonic functions. Thomson & Tait. --
Harmonic suture (Anat.), an articulation by simple apposition of comparatively smooth surfaces or edges, as between the two superior maxillary bones in man; -- called also harmonia, and harmony. --
Harmonic triad (Mus.), the chord of a note with its third and fifth; the common chord. [1913 Webster]

adv. 1. In an harmonical manner; harmoniously. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In respect to harmony, as distinguished from melody; as, a passage harmonically correct. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Math.) In harmonical progression. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A small, flat, wind instrument of music, in which the notes are produced by the vibration of free metallic reeds; it is now called the harmonica. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. 1. The doctrine or science of musical sounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. (Mus.) Secondary and less distinct tones which accompany any principal, and apparently simple, tone, as the octave, the twelfth, the fifteenth, and the seventeenth. The name is also applied to the artificial tones produced by a string or column of air, when the impulse given to it suffices only to make a part of the string or column vibrate; overtones. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Not harmonic; inharmonious; discordant; dissonant. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Philo- + Gr. "armoni`a harmony: cf. F. philharmonique.] Loving harmony or music. [1913 Webster]

n. One who loves harmony or music; also (Colloq.), short for Philharmonic Society, Philharmonic concert, Philharmonic assemblage, or the like. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]