What does "treble" mean?
The highest singing voice (especially as for a boy) or part in musical composition.
Treble
/ˈtɹɛbəl/ adj, adv, noun, verb
adj, adv, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The highest singing voice (especially as for a boy) or part in musical composition.
- Grammar: treble is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: triple, accompaniment, acute, air.
- Useful contrasts: bass, bass range, bassi.
- Usage evidence: He can't even tell a treble clef from a bass clef.
How to use "treble"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "treble" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "treble" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "treble" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "treble" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "treble" is acting as adj, adv, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "triple" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "treble", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The highest singing voice (especially as for a boy) or part in musical composition.
"He starts out by saying that there are three sights, the mene, treble, and quadreble, but actually he discusses only two, the treble and quadreble, both of which are read at the transposition of an octave."
- 2 Alternative form of tribble (“frame for drying paper”). alt-of, alternative
- 3 the pitch range of the highest female voice wordnet
- 4 A person or instrument having a treble voice or pitch; a boy soprano.
- 5 The highest tuned in a ring of bells.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Any high-pitched or shrill voice or sound.
- 7 A threefold quantity or number; something having three parts or having been tripled. dated
- 8 A drink with three portions of alcohol; a triple dated
- 9 Any of the narrow areas enclosed by the two central circles on a dartboard, worth three times the usual value of the segment.
- 10 Three goals, victories, awards etc. in a given match or season.
"As for City, a domestic treble is off the cards and they must haul themselves off the floor quickly with the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against Barcelona on Wednesday."
- 11 Three goals, victories, awards etc. in a given match or season.; A win in the top league, top national cup and top continental cup in the same season.
Verb
- 1 To multiply by three; to make into three parts, layers, or thrice the amount. dated, transitive
"There is increasing evidence that cannabis use can act as a risk factor for the development of bipolar as well as psychotic disorders. A recent systematic review by Gibbs and colleagues identified several studies supporting a link between cannabis use and subsequent relapse of manic symptoms. This review also included a meta-analysis of two large prospective cohort studies, which found that cannabis use almost trebled the risk of new-onset subthreshold manic symptoms after adjusting for potential confounding factors."
- 2 increase threefold wordnet
- 3 To become multiplied by three or increased threefold. dated, intransitive
"I am more ſerious then my cuſtome; you Muſt be ſo too, if heed me: which to do Trebbles thee o're."
- 4 sing treble wordnet
- 5 To make a shrill or high-pitched noise. intransitive
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To utter in a treble key; to whine. transitive
"He outrageously / (When I accused him) trebled his reply."
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to the highest singing voice or part in harmonized music. not-comparable
"He put his cigar in his mouth, and, with his right hand, up in the treble keys, he began to play, in octaves, the melody of a song called "The Kinkajou," which, somewhat notably, had shifted into and ostensibly out of popularity before he was born."
- 2 Threefold, triple. dated, not-comparable
"A lofty tower, and strong on every side / With treble walls."
Adjective
- 1 having or denoting a high range wordnet
- 2 having more than one decidedly dissimilar aspects or qualities wordnet
- 3 having three units or components or elements wordnet
- 4 three times as great or many wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Trebly; triply. dated, not-comparable
"Whose deserts might buy him treble"
Example
"He can't even tell a treble clef from a bass clef."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "treble"?
Common synonyms include: triple, accompaniment, acute, air, alto, aria.
How do you use "treble" in a sentence?
He can't even tell a treble clef from a bass clef.
How do you pronounce "treble"?
Pronounced /ˈtɹɛbəl/.
Etymology
PIE word *tréyes From Middle English treble, from Old French treble, from Latin triplus. Doublet of triple.