either of two stops (open and stopped diapason) usually found throughout the compass of a pipe organ that give it its characteristic tone colour
2.
the compass of an instrument or voice
3. (chiefly in French usage)
a.
a standard pitch used for tuning, esp the now largely obsolete one of A above middle C = 435 hertz, known as diapason normal (French(djapazɔ̃ nɔrmal)
b.
a tuning fork or pitch pipe
4.
(in classical Greece) an octave
Derived forms
diapasonal (diaˈpasonal) or diapasonic (ˌdaɪəpeɪˈzɒnɪk, -ˈsɒn-)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Latin: the whole octave, from Greek: (hē) dia pasōn (khordōn sumphōnia) (concord) through all (the notes), from dia through + pas all
diapason in American English
(ˌdaɪəˈpeɪzən; ˌdaɪəˈpeɪsən)
noun
1.
a.
the entire range of a musical instrument or voice
b.
the entire range of some activity, emotion, etc.
2.
one of the principal stops of an organ, covering the instrument's complete range and producing its characteristic tone quality
3.
a swelling burst of harmony
4.
a standard of musical pitch
5.
a tuning fork
6. Obsolete
the interval of an octave
7. Obsolete
complete harmony
Word origin
ME diapasoun < L diapason < Gr diapasōn, contr. < hē dia pasōn chordōn symphōnia, concord through all of the notes < dia, through + pasōn, gen. pl. of pas, all