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Webster 1913 Edition

Treble

Tre′ble

,
Adj.
[OE.
treble
threefold, OF.
treble
,
treible
, L.
triplus
. See
Triple
.]
1.
Threefold; triple.
A lofty tower, and strong on every side
With
treble
walls.
Dryden.
2.
(Mus.)
(a)
Acute; sharp;
as, a
treble
sound
.
Bacon.
(b)
Playing or singing the highest part or most acute sounds; playing or singing the treble;
as, a
treble
violin or voice
.

Tre′ble

,
adv.
Trebly; triply.
[Obs.]
J. Fletcher.

Tre′ble

,
Noun.
[“ It has been said to be a corruption of
triplum
[Lat.], a third part, superadded to the altus and bassus (high and low).”
Grove.
]
(Mus.)
The highest of the four principal parts in music; the part usually sung by boys or women; soprano.
☞ This is sometimes called the first treble, to distinguish it from the second treble, or alto, which is sung by lower female voices.

Tre′ble

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Trebled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Trebling
.]
1.
To make thrice as much; to make threefold.
“Love trebled life.”
Tennyson.
2.
To utter in a treble key; to whine.
[Obs.]
He outrageously
(When I accused him)
trebled
his reply.
Chapman.

Tre′ble

,
Verb.
I.
To become threefold.
Swift.

Webster 1828 Edition

Treble

TREBLE

,
Adj.
trib'l. [L. triplex, triplus; tres, three, and plexus, fold. This should be written trible.]
1.
Threefold; triple; as a lofty tower with treble walls.
2.
In music, acute; sharp; as a treble sound.
3.
That plays the highest part or most acute sounds; that plays the treble; as a treble violin.

TREBLE

,
Noun.
trib'l. In music, the part of a symphony whose sounds are highest or most acute. This is divided into first or highest treble, and second or base treble.

TREBLE

,
Verb.
T.
trib'l. [L. triplico.] To make thrice as much; to make threefold. Compound interest soon trebles a debt.

TREBLE

,
Verb.
I.
trib'l. To become threefold. A debt at compound interest soon trebles in amount.

Definition 2024

treble

treble

English

Adjective

treble ‎(not comparable)

  1. Threefold, triple.
    • Dryden
      A lofty tower, and strong on every side / With treble walls.
  2. (music) Pertaining to the highest singing voice or part in harmonized music; soprano.
    • 1957, J. D. Salinger, "Zooey", in, 1961, Franny and Zooey:
      He put his cigar in his mouth, and, with his right hand, up in the treble keys, he began to play, in octaves, the melody of a song called "The Kinkajou," which, somewhat notably, had shifted into and ostensibly out of popularity before he was born.
  3. High in pitch; shrill.

Antonyms

Related terms

Adverb

treble ‎(not comparable)

  1. Trebly; triply.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of J. Fletcher to this entry?)

Noun

treble ‎(plural trebles)

  1. (music) The highest singing voice (especially as for a boy) or part in musical composition.
  2. (music) A person or instrument having a treble voice or pitch; a boy soprano.
  3. Any high-pitched or shrill voice or sound.
  4. A threefold quantity or number; something having three parts or having been tripled.
  5. A drink with three portions of alcohol.
  6. (darts) Any of the narrow areas enclosed by the two central circles on a dartboard, worth three times the usual value of the segment.
  7. (sports) Three goals, victories, awards etc. in a given match or season.

Translations

Verb

treble ‎(third-person singular simple present trebles, present participle trebling, simple past and past participle trebled)

  1. (transitive) To multiply by three; to make into three parts, layers, or thrice the amount.
  2. (intransitive) To become multiplied by three or increased threefold.
  3. (intransitive) To make a shrill or high-pitched noise.
  4. (transitive) To utter in a treble key; to whine.
    • Chapman
      He outrageously / (When I accused him) trebled his reply.

Translations

Anagrams

Etymology

From Old French treble, from Latin triplus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /trɛbəl/
  • Rhymes: -ɛbəl

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