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The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section F, G and H · Project Gutenberg — chapter 721 of 973 · ~813 words · public domain

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--Harm"less*ly, adv.- Harm"less*ness, n.

Har*mon"ic (h‰r*mn"k), Har*mon"ic*al (-*kal), a. [L. harmonicus, Gr. "armoniko`s; cf. F. harmonique. See Harmony.] 1. Concordant; musical; consonant; as, harmonic sounds.

Harmonic twang! of leather, horn, and brass.

Pope.

2. (Mus.) Relating to harmony, -- as melodic relates to melody; harmonious; esp., relating to the accessory sounds or overtones which accompany the predominant and apparent single tone of any string or sonorous body.

3. (Math.) Having relations or properties bearing some resemblance to those of musical consonances; -- said of certain numbers, ratios, proportions, points, lines, motions, and the like.

Harmonic interval (Mus.), the distance between two notes of a chord, or two consonant notes. - - Harmonical mean (Arith. & Alg.), certain relations of numbers and quantities, which bear an analogy to musical consonances. -- Harmonic motion, the motion of the point A, of the foot of the perpendicular PA, when P moves uniformly in the circumference of a circle, and PA is drawn perpendicularly upon a fixed diameter of the circle. This is simple harmonic motion. The combinations, in any way, of two or more simple harmonic motions, make other kinds of harmonic motion. The motion of the pendulum bob of a clock is approximately simple harmonic motion. -- Harmonic proportion. See under Proportion. -- Harmonic series or progression. See under Progression. -- Spherical harmonic analysis, a mathematical method, sometimes referred to as that of Laplace's Coefficients, which has for its object the expression of an arbitrary, periodic function of two independent variables, in the proper form for a large class of physical problems, involving arbitrary data, over a spherical surface, and the deduction of solutions for every point of space. The functions employed in this method are called spherical harmonic functions. Thomson & Tait. -- Harmonic suture (Anat.), an articulation by simple apposition of comparatively smooth surfaces or edges, as between the two superior maxillary bones in man; -- called also harmonia, and harmony. -- Harmonic triad (Mus.), the chord of a note with its third and fifth; the common chord.

Har*mon"ic (h‰r*mn"k), n. (Mus.) A musical note produced by a number of vibrations which is a multiple of the number producing some other; an overtone. See Harmonics.

Har*mon"i*ca (-*k), n. [Fem. fr. L. harmonicus harmonic. See Harmonic, n. ] 1. A musical instrument, consisting of a series of hemispherical glasses which, by touching the edges with the dampened finger, give forth the tones.

2. A toy instrument of strips of glass or metal hung on two tapes, and struck with hammers.

Har*mon"ic*al*ly (-*kal*l), adv. 1. In an harmonical manner; harmoniously.

2. In respect to harmony, as distinguished from melody; as, a passage harmonically correct.

3. (Math.) In harmonical progression.

Har*mon"i*con (-*kn), n. A small, flat, wind instrument of music, in which the notes are produced by the vibration of free metallic reeds.

Har*mon"ics (-ks), n. 1. The doctrine or science of musical sounds.

2. pl. (Mus.) Secondary and less distinct tones which accompany any principal, and apparently simple, tone, as the octave, the twelfth, the fifteenth, and the seventeenth. The name is also applied to the artificial tones produced by a string or column of air, when the impulse given to it suffices only to make a part of the string or column vibrate; overtones.

Har*mo"ni*ous (h‰r*m"n*s), a. [Cf. F. harmonieux. See Harmony.] 1. Adapted to each other; having parts proportioned to each other; symmetrical.

God hath made the intellectual world harmonious and beautiful without us.

Locke.

2. Acting together to a common end; agreeing in action or feeling; living in peace and friendship; as, an harmonious family.

3. Vocally or musically concordant; agreeably consonant; symphonious.

-- Har*mo"ni*ous*ly, adv. -- Har*mo"ni*ous*ness, n.

Har*mon"i*phon (h‰r*mn"*fn), n. [Gr. "armoni`a harmony + fwnh` sound.] (Mus.) An obsolete wind instrument with a keyboard, in which the sound, which resembled the oboe, was produced by the vibration of thin metallic plates, acted upon by blowing through a tube.

Har"mo*nist (h‰r"m*nst), n. [Cf. F. harmoniste.] 1. One who shows the agreement or harmony of corresponding passages of different authors, as of the four evangelists.

2. (Mus.) One who understands the principles of harmony or is skillful in applying them in composition; a musical composer.

{ Har"mo*nist, Har"mo*nite (-nt), } n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a religious sect, founded in W¸rtemburg in the last century, composed of followers of George Rapp, a weaver. They had all their property in common. In 1803, a portion of this sect settled in Pennsylvania and called the village thus established, Harmony.

Har*mo"ni*um (h‰r*m"n*m), n. [NL. See Harmony. ] A musical instrument, resembling a small organ and especially designed for church music, in which the tones are produced by forcing air by means of a bellows so as to cause the vibration of free metallic reeds. It is now made with one or two keyboards, and has pedals and stops.

Har`mo*ni*za"tion (h‰r`m*n*z"shn), n. The act of harmonizing.

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