overtone

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: o=ver=tone

CIDE DICTIONARY

overtone, n. [A translation of G. oberton. See Over, Tone.].

 One of the harmonics faintly heard with and at a higher frequency than a fundamental tone as it dies away, produced by some aliquot portion of the vibrating sting or column of air which yields the fundamental tone; one of the natural harmonic scale of tones, as the octave, twelfth, fifteenth, etc.; an aliquot or “partial” tone; a harmonic. See Harmonic, and Tone.  Tyndall.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

overtone, n.
1 Mus. any of the tones above the lowest in a harmonic series.
2 a subtle or elusive quality or implication (sinister overtones).

Etymology

OVER- + TONE, after G Oberton

THESAURUS

overtone

AF, affective meaning, air, allegory, allusion, arcane meaning, assumption, atmosphere, audio frequency, aura, bearing, climate, coloration, coloring, connotation, consequence, denotation, drift, effect, essence, extension, feel, feeling, flageolet tone, force, frequency, fundamental, fundamental tone, gist, grammatical meaning, harmonic, harmonic tone, hint, idea, impact, implication, implied meaning, import, indication, inference, innuendo, insinuation, intension, intimation, intonation, ironic suggestion, lexical meaning, literal meaning, meaning, metaphorical sense, milieu, monotone, monotony, note, nuance, occult meaning, partial, partial tone, pertinence, pitch, pith, point, practical consequence, presumption, presupposition, purport, quality, range of meaning, real meaning, reference, referent, relation, relevance, scope, semantic cluster, semantic field, sense, significance, signification, significatum, signifie, span of meaning, spirit, structural meaning, subsense, subsidiary sense, substance, suggestion, sum, sum and substance, supposition, symbolic meaning, symbolism, tenor, tinge, tone, tonelessness, totality of associations, touch, transferred meaning, unadorned meaning, undercurrent, undermeaning, undertone, value

ROGET THESAURUS

overtone

Resonance

N resonance, ring, ringing, tintinabulation, reflexion, reflection, reverberation, echo, reecho, zap, zot, buzz (hiss), low note, base note, bass note, flat note, grave note, deep note, bass, basso, basso profondo, baritone, barytone, contralto, echo chamber, resonator, tinnitus, bell, doorbell, buzzer, gong, cymbals (musical instruments), sympathetic vibrations, natural frequency, coupled vibration frequency, overtone, resonating cavity, sounding board, tuning fork, tuning, squelch, frequency selection, resonator, resonator circuit, radio resonant structure, aromaticity, alternating double bonds, non-bonded resonance, pi clouds, unsaturation, double bond, (valence), resounding, resonant, reverberant, tinnient, tintinnabulary, sonorous, booming, deep-toned, deep-sounding, deep-mouthed, vibrant, hollow, sepulchral, gruff, sweet bells jangled, out of time and harsh, echoing down the mountain and through the dell.