WordGarden.iotreble
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /trˈɛbəl/
US
- /ˈtrɛbəl/
Meanings
Noun
the high-frequency tones in music or recorded sound
a high singing voice, singer, or vocal part, especially a boy's
an achievement of winning three titles or trophies in a season or competition
Adjective
pitched in the treble range or emphasizing high tones
Beyond the definition
Think of a choir: the bright, higher voices are singing the treble part. In music, treble usually refers to high notes or high-pitched sound, as in the treble clef on sheet music. But treble is not just for music. It can also mean to make something three times as much. If someone owes you 30. You might say, "The cost of lumber has trebled in the last year," meaning it has become three times as high.
The word treble has a long history in music, but it also has a clear meaning in everyday counting and change. Its most familiar use is about high-pitched sound and musical notation. The treble clef, the curled symbol at the beginning of many lines of music, marks the range of higher notes. A treble voice is a high voice, often especially a boy's singing voice before it changes. You might also describe a sound, such as a bird's song, as light and treble in quality.
However, treble also works as a verb and adjective meaning threefold or to multiply by three. In this sense, "The company trebled its sales" means its sales became three times greater. This use is more common in British English, while American English often prefers triple. You may still see treble in news, business writing, and older texts.
So treble usually points in one of two directions: upward in sound or upward in amount. In one setting, it belongs to music and high notes; in another, it means that something becomes three times as much. The exact meaning is usually clear from the context.
Examples
- 1
Online sales
Online orders trebled after the shop started offering free delivery.
- 2
Rent increase
By the end of the month, the rent was almost treble what it had been a year earlier.
- Patterntreble what it was/had been
three times as much as before
- 3
Music controls
The guitar sounded too bright, so she turned down the treble.
- Domainin music, the treble
the high sounds
- 4
Football achievement
The club won the league, the cup, and the Champions League to complete a historic treble.
- Domainin football, a treble
three major wins or titles in one season
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- treblenounverbadjectiveadverb
Forms
- trebledpast tenseverbnounadjective
- treblespluralnounverbadjective
- trebling-ing formverbnounadjective