octave

The distance between two musical notes when one has twice the sound frequency of the other.

• Sing that note an octave higher.
• Her voice dropped an octave when she spoke.
• The melody covers two octaves.

Common phrases: an octave higher, an octave lower, span an octave

A musical note with twice the sound frequency of a particular lower note.

• The tenor sang the octave.
• She played a low C, then its octave.
• The upper octave sounds clearer on this instrument.

How to use it: the octave of a note (The flute plays the octave of the bass note.)

Common phrases: the upper octave, sing the octave, double the octave

An organ control that adds a note twice as high as the note of the key pressed.

• The organist engaged the octave.
• Using the octave added brightness to the passage.
• The technician repaired the organ's octave before the concert.

Similar words: octave coupler

Opposites: sub-octave

Common phrases: engage the octave, octave coupler, the organ's octave

A small barrel for wine, holding one eighth of the amount in a large barrel called a pipe.

• They rolled an octave into the cellar.
• The merchant ordered an octave of wine.
• Each octave held one eighth as much as a pipe.

Common phrases: an octave of wine, an oak octave, fill an octave