n. 1. A full, rich outpouring of harmonious sound. 2. The entire range of an instrument or voice. 3. Either of the two principal stops on a pipe organ that form the tonal basis for the entire scale of the instrument. 4. The interval and the consonance of an octave. 5. A standard indication of pitch. 6. A tuning fork. [Middle English diapasoun, from Latin diapāsōn, the whole octave, from Greek dia pāsōn (khordōn), through all (the notes) : dia, through; see DIA- + pāsōn, feminine genitive pl. of pās, every; see pant- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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