octave
1 synonym for octave, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The musical distance between one note and another note with double or half its pitch frequency, spanning eight notes of the scale.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
musical octave
How to use octave
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
an octave higher
sing in octaves
the opening octave of a sonnet
Etymology
From Latin octavus, "eighth" — the same root that gives us "October" and "octet".
Full origin of octave →Frequently asked questions
What does “octave” mean?
The word “octave” means the musical distance between one note and another note with double or half its pitch frequency, spanning eight notes of the scale. In plain terms, a jump of eight notes in music, or a block of eight lines in a poem.
How do you pronounce “octave”?
“Octave” is pronounced OK-tihv (/ˈɑktɪv/ in IPA).
How do you use “octave” in a sentence?
Here is “octave” used in a sentence: “She sang the final line an octave higher than written.”
What part of speech is “octave”?
“Octave” is a noun.
Where does the word “octave” come from?
The word “octave” comes from Latin. From Latin octavus, "eighth" — the same root that gives us "October" and "octet".
Is “octave” a common word?
“Octave” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “octave” have?
“Octave” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the musical distance between one note and another note with double or half its pitch frequency, spanning eight notes of the scale.
