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bass - 14 dictionary results

bass

1[beys] Music.
–adjective
1. low in pitch; of the lowest pitch or range: a bass voice; a bass instrument.
2. of or pertaining to the lowest part in harmonic music.
–noun
3. the bass part.
4. a bass voice, singer, or instrument.
5. double bass.

Origin:
1400–50; late ME, var. of base 2 with ss of basso


bassly, adverb
bassness, noun
bassy, adjective

bass

2[bas]
–noun, plural (especially collectively) bass, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) bass⋅es.
1. any of numerous edible, spiny-finned, freshwater or marine fishes of the families Serranidae and Centrarchidae.
2. (originally) the European perch, Perca fluviatilis.

Origin:
1375–1425; late ME bas, earlier bærs, OE bærs (with loss of r before s as in ass 2 , passel, etc.); c. D baars, G Barsch, OSw agh-borre

bass

3[bas]
–noun
1. the basswood or linden.
2. Botany. bast.

Origin:
1685–95; var. of bast with unexplained loss of -t

Bass

[bas]
–noun
Sam, 1851–78, U.S. outlaw: bank and train robber in the West.
bass 1   (bās)   
n.   pl. bass or bass·es
  1. Any of several North American freshwater fishes of the family Centrarchidae, related to but larger than the sunfishes.
  2. Any of various marine fishes of the family Serranidae, such as the sea bass and the striped bass.

[Middle English *bars, perch, from Old English bærs.]
bass 2   (bās)   
n.  
  1. A low-pitched sound or tone.
  2. The tones in the lowest register of an instrument.
    1. A male singing voice of the lowest range.
    2. A singer who has such a voice.
    3. An instrument that sounds within this range.
    4. Abbr. B A vocal or instrumental part written within this range.
  3. An instrument, especially a double bass, that produces tones in a low register.
adj.  
  1. Having a deep tone.
  2. Low in pitch.

[Middle English bas, lowest musical part, from bas, low; see base2.]

Bass

Bass\, n.; pl. Bass, and sometimes Basses. [A corruption of barse.] (Zo["o]l.) 1. An edible, spiny-finned fish, esp. of the genera Roccus, Labrax, and related genera. There are many species.

Note: The common European bass is Labrax lupus. American species are: the striped bass (Roccus lineatus); white or silver bass of the lakes. (R. chrysops); brass or yellow bass (R. interruptus).

2. The two American fresh-water species of black bass (genus Micropterus). See Black bass.

3. Species of Serranus, the sea bass and rock bass. See Sea bass.

4. The southern, red, or channel bass (Sci[ae]na ocellata). See Redfish.

Note: The name is also applied to many other fishes. See Calico bass, under Calico.

Bass

Bass\, n. [A corruption of bast.]

1. (Bot.) The linden or lime tree, sometimes wrongly called whitewood; also, its bark, which is used for making mats. See Bast.

2. (Pron. ?) A hassock or thick mat.

Bass

Bass\, n. [F. basse, fr. bas low. See Base, a.]

1. A bass, or deep, sound or tone.

2. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part in a musical composition. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, bass. [Written also base.]

Thorough bass. See Thorough bass.

Bass

Bass\, a. Deep or grave in tone.

Bass clef (Mus.), the character placed at the beginning of the staff containing the bass part of a musical composition. [See Illust. under Clef.]

Bass voice, a deep-sounding voice; a voice fitted for singing bass.

Bass

Bass\, v. t. To sound in a deep tone. [R.] --Shak.
Language Translation for : bass
Spanish: bajo,
German: der Baß,
Japanese: 低音

bass [(bays)]

The lowest range of the male singing voice. (Compare baritone and tenor.)


bass  (adj.)
"low" (voice or instrument, ranging from the E flat below the bass stave to the F above it), c.1390, originally base, infl. by It. basso, from L.L. bassus "short, low," possibly from Oscan. Meaning "bass-viol" is from 1702; that of "double-bass" is from 1927.

bass  (n.)
"fish," 15c. corruption of O.E. bærs "a fish, perch," from P.Gmc. base *bars- "sharp" (cf. M.Du. baerse, M.H.G. bars, Ger. Barsch "perch," Ger. barsch "rough"), from PIE base *bhors- "bristle." The fish was so called for its dorsal fins.
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