semitonicadj.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Scale This, then, is the present Scale for Instruments, viz. Between the Extremes of every Tone of the natural Scale is put a Note, which divides it into two unequal Parts, called Semi-tones; whence the whole may be called the Semitonic Scale.

1761 F. H. E. Stiles in Philos. Trans. 1760 (Royal Soc.) 51 706 In the diatonic genus, the diapason consisting of five tonic and two semitonic intervals.

1833 J. Rush Philos. Human Voice (ed. 2) 332 (note) It is the diatonic shake, the semitonic not being found in his [sc. the mocking-bird's] song.

1875 Standard 21 Aug. 2/2 The semi-tonic passages suit admirably the sorrowful tendency of the poetry.

2002 A. McCredie in L. Sitsky Music Twentieth-cent. Avant-garde 25 Andreas Werckmeister's division of the octave into twelve equal semitonic steps.

1838 G. F. Graham Ess. Theory & Pract. Musical Composition 25/1 The cadence is complete, from the third of dominant rising semitonically..to the tonic itself.

1911 T. H. Y. Trotter Constructive Harmony & Form ii. xi. 94 Any chord may be introduced in any key provided it is approached either semitonically or from some other chord nearly related to it.

2001 Musical Times Winter 29/2 Semitonically squeaking into the eternal silence.