neighbor note

noun

variants or less commonly neighbor tone or neighboring tone or neighboring note
: a nonharmonic note that is approached stepwise from above or below and returns to the previous note
Within this motive and elsewhere in the movement, the semitone neighbor note will prove to be the most consequential motivic cell …Stephen E. Hefling, ed., Nineteenth-Century Chamber Music, 1998

called also (chiefly British) auxiliary note, auxiliary tone

see counterpoint illustration
neighbor-note adjective

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of neighbor note was in 1900

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near neighbor note

Cite this Entry

“Neighbor note.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neighbor%20note. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!