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octave

[ok-tiv, -teyv] / ˈɒk tɪv, -teɪv /
NOUN
rhythmic interval
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The Hammond B3 swells on the verse’s first pass, sticking close to the song’s melody, but on the second, it jumps an octave in an improvisation that nearly scorches the ear.

From Salon May 15, 2026

The emotion holds center stage, backed by adamant violins and horns and sneaky melodies that vault up an octave to hit surprising notes.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 6, 2024

It became a defining song for the genre, marrying Thomas's gospel-trained, four octave vocals to a pulsing electronic beat.

From BBC Jul. 22, 2024

What if that same octave were equally divided into 14 tones, or 16?

From New York Times Feb. 11, 2024

My voice goes up an octave, edging dangerously close to a babyish whine.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Ms. O’Hara, best known for her crystalline singing in musical revivals, proves to have a similarly wide range of octaves when it comes to physical comedy.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 20, 2026

It can elegantly vault octaves, scoop notes without a croaky glottal fry and crack words into multi-note, velvety yodels.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 18, 2025

However, in one research project, astronomer Mark Whittle compressed the first million years of the universe into 10 seconds, shifted up by 50 octaves so that the human ear could hear.

From Salon Jun. 3, 2025

This excitation triggers the generation of harmonic electronic states that give rise to single photons -- similar to how musical harmonics produce notes across multiple octaves.

From Science Daily Apr. 23, 2024

Because of this, many discussions of music theory don't bother naming octaves.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones




Vocabulary lists containing octave


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