Harmonic

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 ]