har·mon·ic  (här-m ŏn ĭk)
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adj.1. a. Of or relating to harmony. b. Pleasing to the ear: harmonic orchestral effects. c. Characterized by harmony: a harmonic liturgical chant. 2. Of or relating to harmonics. 3. Integrated in nature. n.1. a. Any of a series of musical tones whose frequencies are integral multiples of the frequency of a fundamental tone. b. A tone produced on a stringed instrument by lightly touching an open or stopped vibrating string at a given fraction of its length so that both segments vibrate. Also called overtone, partial, partial tone. 2. harmonics (used with a sing. verb) The theory or study of the physical properties and characteristics of musical sound. 3. Physics Any of a series of periodic waves whose frequencies are integral multiples of a fundamental frequency.
[Latin harmonicus, from Greek harmonikos, from harmoniā, harmony; see HARMONY.]
har·moni·cal·ly adv.  (click for a larger image) harmonicVisual representation of harmonics in the periodic motion of a vibrating guitar string. First (or fundamental) harmonic (top), second harmonic (center), and sixth harmonic (bottom). |
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