• Tremulant

    Full definition of tremulant

    Adjective

    tremulant

    1. Trembling, tremulous.
      • 1899, Booth Tarkington, The Gentleman From Indiana, ch. 6:The night air wrapped them warmly, and the balm of the little breezes that stirred the foliage around them was the smell of damask roses from the garden. . . . She stood by the bench, one hand resting on it; she stood all in the tremulant shadow.
      • 2009, Faye Kellerman, The Quality of Mercy, ISBN 9780061582516, p. 436 (Google Preview):Lightning exploded through the sky, followed quickly by a tremulant clap of thunder.
      • 2010, Joy Jouse, School Days, ISBN 9781596549890, p. 39 (Google Preview):She continued in a throaty, yet tremulant voice, punctuating her words with a shy, small smile.

    Noun

    tremulant

    (plural tremulants)
    1. (music) A mechanical component of a musical organ, designed to add vibration to the sounds produced by the instrument.
      • 1855, Edward J. Hopkins, The Organ: Its History and Construction,ch. 16 (Google Preview):The tremulant is a small apparatus that gives to the tone of any department of an organ to which it may be applied a waving or undulating effect.
      • 2009, John R. Shanon, Understanding the Pipe Organ, ISBN 0780786439980, p. 22 (Google Preview):The tremulant intentionally disturbs the stability of the wind in order to produce a desirable musical oscillation.
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