高频 (gāopín) literally combines 高 (gāo, 'high') and 频 (pín, short for 频率 'frequency'), meaning 'high-frequency' — referring to sounds, signals, or phenomena occurring at a high rate or with short wavelengths. It is commonly used in technical, scientific, and everyday contexts involving acoustics, electronics, linguistics, and biology.

In Chinese, 高频 often appears as a noun (e.g., 高频词 'high-frequency word') or attributive adjective (e.g., 高频信号 'high-frequency signal'). In animal behavior studies, it describes ultrasonic vocalizations — such as bat echolocation calls or mouse pup isolation calls — that exceed human hearing range (above ~20 kHz). The term emphasizes both physical properties (e.g., pitch, wave cycles per second) and functional roles (e.g., communication efficiency, detection precision).