Added 9 October 2026
harmonic
/hɑːˈmɒnɪk/ adjective
Latin root: harmonicus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about harmonic at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Pertaining to harmony.
- Pleasant to hear; harmonious; melodious.
-
Used to characterize various mathematical entities or relationships supposed to bear some resemblance to musical consonance.
The harmonic polar line of an inflection point of a cubic curve is the component of the polar conic other than the tangent line.
noun
- A component frequency of the signal of a wave that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.
- The place where, on a bowed string instrument, a note in the harmonic series of a particular string can be played without the fundamental present.
- One of a class of functions that enter into the development of the potential of a nearly spherical mass due to its attraction.
Origin
From Latin harmonicus, from Ancient Greek ἁρμονικός (harmonikós), from ἁρμονία (harmonía, “harmony”). By surface analysis, harmony + -ic. Doublet of armónico.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)