Eighth note means: A note having one-eighth the duration of a whole note; a quaver.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
eighth note
(North America, music) A note having one-eighth the duration of a whole note; a quaver.
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(North America, music) A note having one-eighth the duration of a whole note; a quaver.
For parents
Eighth note means: A note having one-eighth the duration of a whole note; a quaver.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
eighth note means: A note having one-eighth the duration of a whole note; a quaver.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: general
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "eighth note" (E)
eight-balleighter from Decatureightheighth gradeeighth gradereighthmaneightplexeighty-eighteighty-eleveneildEileeneina
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Semantically related
- quarter note73%
(North America, music) A musical note one beat long in 4/4 time.
- high doh70%
(music) The eighth note in the sol-fa system, being an octave above doh.
- hemisemidemiquaver70%
(UK, music) A sixty-fourth note.
- eighth69%
One of eight equal parts of a whole.
- half note68%
(North America, music) A musical note that is two beats long, which is half the length of a semibreve and equal in length to two crotchets; a minim.