Applied to, or distinguishing, a speech element consisting of tone, or proper vocal sound, not pure as in the vowels, but dimmed and otherwise modified by some kind of obstruction in the oral or the nasal passage, and in some cases with a mixture of breath sound; -- a term introduced by Dr. James Rush in 1833. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§155, 199-202.

A subtonic sound or element; a vocal consonant, as b, d, g, n, etc.; a subvocal.

The seventh tone of the scale, or that immediately below the tonic; -- called also subsemitone.

(music) the seventh note of the diatonic scale

The seventh degree of the diatonic scale. Also called the Leading tone.

In music, the subtonic is the lowered seventh degree of the scale, as opposed to the leading tone. For example, in the A minor scale (white keys on a piano, starting on A), the subtonic is the note G (in C major this would be Bâ™­); and the subtonic chord uses the notes G, B, and D (in C: Bâ™­-D-F). In music theory, the subtonic chord is symbolized with the Roman numeral â™­VII for a major triad built on the note, or â™­vii for a minor triad; in a minor key, the flat symbol is sometimes omitted because the subtonic note appears in the natural minor scale.