overtone

n. harmonic, secondary tone which is higher than the primary or fundamental tone (Music); something which is subtly suggested, subtle implication, connotation

"Overtones" redirects here. For the album by Just Jack, see Overtones (album). An overtone is a natural resonance or vibration frequency of a system. Systems described by overtones are often sound systems, for example, blown pipes or plucked strings. If such a system is excited, a number of sound frequencies may be produced. These frequencies, are usually, but not always, a close approximation to an integer multiple of a lowest resonance frequency. Thus, overtones and harmonics should not be confused or interchanged. By definition a harmonic is an exact integer multiple of a fundamental frequency, where as in most systems, overtones are never exact integer multiples of a root frequency. For example, the first overtone of a circular drum is approximately 2.4 times its fundamental resonance frequency.
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Noun
1. (usually plural) an ulterior implicit meaning or quality; "overtones of despair"
(hypernym) meaning, significance, signification, import
(classification) plural, plural form
2. a harmonic with a frequency that is a multiple of the fundamental frequency
(synonym) partial, partial tone
(hypernym) harmonic

(n.)
One of the harmonics faintly heard with and above a tone as it dies away, produced by some aliquot portion of the vibrating sting or column of air which yields the fundamental tone; one of the natural harmonic scale of tones, as the octave, twelfth, fifteenth, etc.; an aliquot or "partial" tone; a harmonic. See Harmonic, and Tone.
  

Of a sinusoidal wave, an integral multiple of the frequency, i.e., the fundamental, of the wave, other than the fundamental itself. Note 1: The first overtone is twice the frequency of the fundamental, and thus corresponds to the second harmonic; the second overtone is three times the frequency of the fundamental, and thus corresponds to the third harmonic, etc. Note 2: Use of the term overtone is generally confined to acoustic waves, especially in applications related to music. Contrast with fundamental, harmonic.