noun
octave
OK-tihv
noun
1
The musical distance between one note and another note with double or half its pitch frequency, spanning eight notes of the scale.
"She sang the final line an octave higher than written."
"A piano keyboard repeats the same twelve notes in every octave."
2
A stanza or unit of eight lines of poetry, especially the opening eight lines of a sonnet.
"The octave sets up the problem, and the closing sestet answers it."
How to Use Octave
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA jump of eight notes in music, or a block of eight lines in a poem.
Common pairings
an octave higher
sing in octaves
the opening octave of a sonnet
Word Forms
octaves plural
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She sang the final line an _____ higher than written.
Etymology
From Latin octavus, "eighth" — the same root that gives us "October" and "octet".