Diatonic scale

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

diatonic scale
    n 1: a scale with eight notes in an octave; all but two are
         separated by whole tones

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Diatonic \Di`a*ton"ic\ (d[imac]`[.a]*t[o^]n"[i^]k), a. [L.
   diatonicus, diatonus, Gr. ?, ?, fr. ? to stretch out; dia`
   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.
   [1913 Webster]

   {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.
      [1913 Webster]