OCTAVES
Noun
octaves
plural of octave
Anagrams
• avocets, vocates
Source: Wiktionary
OCTAVE
Oc"tave, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. octava an eighth, fr. octavus eighth,
fr. octo eight. See Eight, and cf. Octavo, Utas.]
1. The eighth day after a church festival, the festival day being
included; also, the week following a church festival. "The octaves of
Easter." Jer. Taylor.
2. (Mus.)
(a) The eighth tone in the scale; the interval between one and eight
of the scale, or any interval of equal length; an interval of five
tones and two semitones.
(b) The whole diatonic scale itself.
Note: The ratio of a musical tone to its octave above is 1:2 as
regards the number of vibrations producing the tones.
3. (Poet.)
Definition: The first two stanzas of a sonnet, consisting of four verses
each; a stanza of eight lines.
With mournful melody it continued this octave. Sir P. Sidney.
Double octave. (Mus.) See under Double.
– Octave flute (Mus.), a small flute, the tones of which range an
octave higher than those of the German or ordinary flute; -- called
also piccolo. See Piccolo.
4. A small cask of wine, the eighth part of a pipe.
Oc"tave, a.
Definition: Consisting of eight; eight. Dryden.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition