† ˈhemitone Mus. Obs.
[ad. L. hēmitonium, ad. Gr. ἡµιτόνιον, f. hemi- + τόνος tone.]
Half-tone, semitone.
| 1694 Phil. Trans. XVIII. 71 In the Chromatick the Degrees were Hemitones and Trihemitones. 1760 Stiles Ibid. LI. 724 But, should we admit more tones than these, as they do, who augment their excesses by hemitones, the meses of two tones must..be applied to the place of one sound. |