Di`a*ton"ic (dī`&adot;*t&obreve;n"&ibreve;k), a. [L. diatonicus, diatonus, Gr. &?;, &?;, fr.
&?; to stretch out; dia` through + &?; to stretch: cf. F. diatonique.
See Tone.]
(Mus.) Pertaining to the scale of
eight tones, the eighth of which is the
octave of the first.
Diatonic scale (Mus.), a scale consisting of eight sounds with seven intervals, of which two are
semitones and five are whole tones; a modern major or minor scale, as distinguished from the chromatic scale.
Hear it pronounced