chiff

noun

ˈchif 

plural chiffs

: the initial sound made by air leaving the mouth of a wind instrument (such as an organ flue pipe or a flute) at the attack (see attack entry 2 sense 5) of a note

The chiff is a sudden, short-lived burst of upper harmonics that occurs whenever an organ key is depressed and a note is sounded.

—Joel Naumann and James D. Wagoner, Analog Electronic Music Techniques, 1985

called also articulation

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

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