Dictionary

tritone en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹaɪˌtoʊn/ (General-American)
• trī'tōn (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷaɪˌtʰoʊ̯n] (General-American)
• trī'tōn (General-American)
• [ˈt̠͡ʃɹ̠̊˔ʷäɪˌtʰoʊ̯n] (General-American)
• /ˈtɹaɪˌtəʊ̯n/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin tritonus, itself borrowed from Ancient Greek τρίτονος (trítonos). By surface analysis, tri- + tone.

Meanings

1. An interval of three whole tones.
   • The mini-epic “Seasons in the Abyss,” with its ringing tritone interval at the beginning, its extended solos, its medium tempo, was as close as Slayer got to a groove. 2007 February 17, Ben Ratliff, “For Some Unmellowed Metalheads, Middle Age Is Nothing to Fear”, in New York Times:
   • The tritone has a pitch ratio close to 17:12.
   • Near-synonyms: augmented fourth, diminished fifth

Forms

Deriveds

semitritone

Relateds

devil's chord · TT

Synonyms

diminished fifth · diabolus · devil in music · augmented fourth · diabolus in musica · devil's interval

Translations (16)

ro triton (an interval of three whole tones) · it tritono (an interval of three whole tones) · nl tritonus (an interval of three whole tones) · ru трито́н (an interval of three whole tones) · cmn 三全音 (an interval of three whole tones) · fi tritonus (an interval of three whole tones) · sh triton (an interval of three whole tones) · de Tritonus (an interval of three whole tones) · es trítono (an interval of three whole tones) · cs tritón (an interval of three whole tones) · sh tritonus (an interval of three whole tones) · pt trítono (an interval of three whole tones) · fr triton (an interval of three whole tones) · pl tryton (an interval of three whole tones) · yue 三全音 (an interval of three whole tones) · gl trítono (an interval of three whole tones)

tritone en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹaɪˌtoʊn/ (General-American)
• trī'tōn (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷaɪˌtʰoʊ̯n] (General-American)
• trī'tōn (General-American)
• [ˈt̠͡ʃɹ̠̊˔ʷäɪˌtʰoʊ̯n] (General-American)
• /ˈtɹaɪˌtəʊ̯n/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tréyes Proto-Indo-European *tri- Proto-Italic *tri- Latin tri-der. English tri- English tone English tritone From tri- + tone.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Having three tones.
   • Fortrel-and-rayon-linen tritone dress, with drawstring waist. 1963 May, “Thirty summer fashions”, in McCall’s, page 186:
   • The first cotume^([sic]) in which Mrs. Earle appeared was a tritone dress of crepe, with a brown velour cloche and brown calf sling pumps. 1950 October 15, “Local Matrons Smartly Model Clothes Here At Event By Junior League”, in The Greenville News, volume LXXVI, number 288, Greenville, S.C., page two:
   • Tritone jacket has contrast nylon inserts. 80(Blue/Red/Wht.), 38(Beige/Navy/Red). 1979, “Killy Triple Gold Jackets”, in Christmas Wish Book, page 360:
   • It is hard to believe that today’s signs may be tomorrow’s beloved ghosts, but sure as my 1970’s polyester tritone shirt and my plebeian 1964 Volvo are now “classics,” it will likely be so. 2013, Alexandra Horowitz, “Minding Our Qs”, in On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes, Scribner, →ISBN, pages 69–70:

Forms

Synonyms

tritoned

tritone en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹaɪˌtoʊn/ (General-American)
• trī'tōn (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈt̠ɹ̠̊˔ʷaɪˌtʰoʊ̯n] (General-American)
• trī'tōn (General-American)
• [ˈt̠͡ʃɹ̠̊˔ʷäɪˌtʰoʊ̯n] (General-American)
• /ˈtɹaɪˌtəʊ̯n/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tréyes Proto-Indo-European *tri- Proto-Italic *tri- Latin tri-der. English tri- English tone English tritone From tri- + tone.

Meanings

1. A picture printed in three shades.
   • When using tritones or quadtones (in which three colours are blended together) all the secondary colours are mixed together. 2003, Duncan Evans, “Duotones and Tritones”, in A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Portrait Photography, AVA Publishing SA, →ISBN, page 115:
   • The two colours need not be black and grey; computer duotones can be created from a greyscale original in any two colours; tritones use three inks and quadtones four. 2010, David Präkel, “Duotone”, in The Visual Dictionary of Photography, AVA Publishing SA, →ISBN, page 97:
   • In Photoshop’s Duotone mode you can create monotones, duotones, tritones, and quadtones—grayscale images to which you add one, two, three, or four colors. 1995, Adele Droblas Greenberg, Seth Greenberg, “Converting from One Mode to Another”, in Fundamental Photoshop, 2nd edition, Osborne McGraw-Hill, →ISBN, page 380:

Forms

Coordinates

duotone · quadtone