What does harmonic mean?
Definitions for harmonic
hɑrˈmɒn ɪkhar·mon·ic
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word harmonic.
Princeton's WordNet
harmonicnoun
a tone that is a component of a complex sound
harmonicadjective
any of a series of musical tones whose frequencies are integral multiples of the frequency of a fundamental
harmonicadjective
of or relating to harmony as distinct from melody and rhythm
"subtleties of harmonic change and tonality"- Ralph Hill
harmonicadjective
of or relating to harmonics
harmonicadjective
of or relating to the branch of acoustics that studies the composition of musical sounds
"the sound of the resonating cavity cannot be the only determinant of the harmonic response"
harmonic, sympatheticadjective
relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations in a nearby body
"sympathetic vibration"
consonant, harmonic, harmonical, harmonized, harmonisedadjective
involving or characterized by harmony
Wiktionary
harmonicnoun
a component frequency of the signal of a wave that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency
harmonicadjective
pertaining to harmony
harmonicadjective
pleasant to hear; harmonious; melodious
harmonicadjective
attribute of many mathematical entities that only in few cases are obviously related
Wikipedia
Harmonic
A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the 1st harmonic, the other harmonics are known as higher harmonics. As all harmonics are periodic at the fundamental frequency, the sum of harmonics is also periodic at that frequency. The set of harmonics forms a harmonic series. The term is employed in various disciplines, including music, physics, acoustics, electronic power transmission, radio technology, and other fields. For example, if the fundamental frequency is 50 Hz, a common AC power supply frequency, the frequencies of the first three higher harmonics are 100 Hz (2nd harmonic), 150 Hz (3rd harmonic), 200 Hz (4th harmonic) and any addition of waves with these frequencies is periodic at 50 Hz. An nth characteristic mode, for n > 1, will have nodes that are not vibrating. For example, the 3rd characteristic mode will have nodes at 1 3 {\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{3}}} L and 2 3 {\displaystyle {\tfrac {2}{3}}} L, where L is the length of the string. In fact, each nth characteristic mode, for n not a multiple of 3, will not have nodes at these points. These other characteristic modes will be vibrating at the positions 1 3 {\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{3}}} L and 2 3 {\displaystyle {\tfrac {2}{3}}} L. If the player gently touches one of these positions, then these other characteristic modes will be suppressed. The tonal harmonics from these other characteristic modes will then also be suppressed. Consequently, the tonal harmonics from the nth characteristic modes, where n is a multiple of 3, will be made relatively more prominent. In music, harmonics are used on string instruments and wind instruments as a way of producing sound on the instrument, particularly to play higher notes and, with strings, obtain notes that have a unique sound quality or "tone colour". On strings, bowed harmonics have a "glassy", pure tone. On stringed instruments, harmonics are played by touching (but not fully pressing down the string) at an exact point on the string while sounding the string (plucking, bowing, etc.); this allows the harmonic to sound, a pitch which is always higher than the fundamental frequency of the string.
ChatGPT
harmonic
Harmonic is a term used in various fields (such as music, physics, mathematics, etc.) usually referring to a component of a periodic wave or quantity that has a frequency which is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency. They characteristically create harmonious or pleasing effects. The fundamental frequency is also referred to as the first harmonic, the second harmonic refers to a frequency that is twice of the fundamental frequency, and so on.
Webster Dictionary
Harmonicadjective
alt. of Harmonical
Harmonicnoun
a musical note produced by a number of vibrations which is a multiple of the number producing some other; an overtone. See Harmonics
Wikidata
Harmonic
A harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e. if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies 2f, 3f, 4f, . . . etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental frequency, therefore the sum of harmonics is also periodic at that frequency. Harmonic frequencies are equally spaced by the width of the fundamental frequency and can be found by repeatedly adding that frequency. For example, if the fundamental frequency is 25 Hz, the frequencies of the next harmonics are: 50 Hz, 75 Hz, 100 Hz etc.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Harmonic
-al, har-mon′ik, -al, adj. pertaining to harmony: musical: concordant: recurring periodically.—n. a secondary tone, overtone; a note on a stringed instrument produced by lightly stopping a string: (math.) one of a class of functions that enter into the development of the potential of a nearly spherical mass due to its attraction.—adv. Harmon′ically.—n.pl. Harmon′ics, used as sing. the science of harmony or of musical sounds—as pl. consonances, the component sounds included in what appears to the ear to be a single sound.—adj. Harmō′nious, having harmony: symmetrical, congruous: concordant.—adv. Harmō′niously.—ns. Harmō′niousness; Harmonisā′tion.—v.i. Har′monīse, to be in harmony: to agree.—v.t. to make in harmony: to cause to agree: (mus.) to provide parts to.—ns. Harmonīs′er; Har′monist, one skilled in harmony: a musical composer.—Harmonic engine, an invention of Edison's, in which the energy of an electric current is used, by means of two small electro-magnets, to keep up the vibrations of a large and heavily-weighted tuning-fork whose arms are connected with two pistons working a miniature pump; Harmonic progression, a series of numbers the reciprocals of which are in arithmetical progression; Harmonic proportion, the relation of three quantities in harmonic progression—the 2d a harmonic mean between the 1st and 3d, as in the three numbers 2, 3, and 6; Harmonic triad, the common chord.
Editors Contribution
Harmonic
A radio frequency multiplied one or more times.
Submitted by JP03 on October 22, 2014
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Anagrams for harmonic »
choirman
chromian
omniarch
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of harmonic in Chaldean Numerology is: 1
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of harmonic in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of harmonic in a Sentence
A microphone has a certain range. It's not as good as your ears, but it will capture an enclosed space, the harmonic content in a room. Nice old tube mikes do that pretty well. And that's a good sound.
A physicist might argue that music is the harmonic resonance of our soul & the string theory of our hearts.
We use femtosecond laser pulses. We scan the skin and we get signals from the skin, particularly fluorescence, as well as another signal called second harmonic generation. So with these two signals we can build up images and get a precise look into the skin with a high resolution. The resolution is a factor of one thousand (times) better than ultrasound. So now you get the information without taking biopsies; normally you slice them, you stain them, and then a pathologist would look through these sections. Now you can get this information in seconds, labor free and with this fantastic resolution.
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References
Translations for harmonic
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
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"harmonic." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 16 Mar. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/harmonic>.
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