Meaning & use
Semibreve
Last updated
A musical note equal in duration to four beats in common time, known in American English as a whole note.
See it in a sentence
The composer held the final chord as a single semibreve.
In the score, a semibreve is written as a hollow oval with no stem.
A note on using this word
"Semibreve" is standard British and European musical terminology, while American musicians typically say "whole note" instead.
Words with a similar meaning
whole note
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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