Di′a‐ton″ic (dī′ȧ‐tŏn″ĭk), a. [L. diatonicus, diatonus, Gr. �, �, fr. � to stretch out; διά through + � to stretch: cf. F. diatonique. See Tone.] (Mus.) Pertaining to the scale of eight tones, the eighth of which is the octave of the first.
Diatonic scale(Mus.), a scale consisting of eight sounds with seven intervals, of which two are semitones and five are whole tones; a modern major or minor scale, as distinguished from the chromatic scale.