overtone

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Pronunciation

• (America) IPA: /ˈoʊvɚtoʊn/
• (British) IPA: /ˈəʊ.və.təʊn/

Noun

overtone (plural overtones)

1. (physics, music) A tone whose frequency is an integer multiple of another; a member of the harmonic series. [from 1867]
2. (figuratively, often, in plural) An implicit message (in a film, book, verbal discussion or similar) perceived as overwhelming the explicit message. [from 1890]

   Antonyms: undertone

Translations

• French: partiel
• German: Oberton
• Russian: оберто́н
• Spanish: sobretono

Translations

• French: sous-entendu, connotation
• Russian: подте́кст

Verb

overtone (overtones, present participle overtoning; past and past participle overtoned)

1. (transitive) To give an overtone to.
   • 1860, The Art Journal (page 39)

     The flesh tints appear to have been darkened by being overworked; the draperies are overtoned in the same way […]

   • 1977, Sol Dember, ‎Steven A. Dember, ‎Jeffrey H. Dember, Drawing & painting the world of animals (page 55)

     The background is now rendered by using meadow green with a stick pastel around the lower area under the lynx in an irregular fashion, and overtoning the areas closer to the animal with an irregular application of leaf green color.

   • 2011, Jerrold Levinson, Music, Art, and Metaphysics

     Can you imagine, finally, the opening of Janácek's Sinfonietta, with its richly overtoned, overlapping fanfares, performed not by brass but by a consort of oboes—even very loud ones?

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