bass

1
[ beys ]
See synonyms for bass on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. low in pitch; of the lowest pitch or range: a bass voice; a bass instrument.

  2. of or relating to the lowest part in harmonic music.

noun
  1. the bass part.

  2. a bass voice, singer, or instrument.

Origin of bass

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bas, bass(e), baas, variant of base2 with ss of basso

Other words from bass

  • bassly, adverb
  • bassness, noun
  • bassy, adjective

Other definitions for bass (2 of 4)

bass2
[ 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 of bass

2
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English bas(e), bace, earlier bærs, Old English bærs, bears (with loss of r before s as in ass2, passel, etc.); cognate with Dutch baars, German Barsch, Old Swedish agh-borre

Other definitions for bass (3 of 4)

bass3
[ bas ]

noun
  1. the basswood or linden.

Origin of bass

3
First recorded in 1675–85; variant of bast with unexplained loss of -t

Other definitions for Bass (4 of 4)

Bass
[ bas ]

noun
  1. Sam, 1851–78, U.S. outlaw: bank and train robber in the West.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bass in a sentence

  • There are several magnificent tenors and violoncellos, and perhaps three or four double basses.

  • Edith, darling, you would be a slave instantly, and the State would provide you with double-basses and cornets.

    Dodo's Daughter | E. F. Benson
  • All the basses played in the recitative, but they had the story that it was written for Dragonetti only.

  • The double-basses and solo barytone are the spokesmen for the tuneful host.

    How to Listen to Music, 7th ed. | Henry Edward Krehbiel
  • But if you have two double-basses and enough fiddles on top you can manage to make the flowing of a river sound quite well.

    The Harlequinade | Dion Clayton Calthrop

British Dictionary definitions for bass (1 of 3)

bass1

/ (beɪs) /


noun
  1. the lowest adult male voice usually having a range from E a 13th below middle C to D a tone above it

  2. a singer with such a voice

  1. the bass the lowest part in a piece of harmony: See also thorough bass

  2. informal short for bass guitar, double bass

    • the low-frequency component of an electrical audio signal, esp in a record player or tape recorder

    • the knob controlling this on such an instrument

adjective
  1. relating to or denoting the bass: bass pitch; the bass part

  2. denoting the lowest and largest instrument in a family: a bass trombone

Origin of bass

1
C15 bas base 1; modern spelling influenced by basso

British Dictionary definitions for bass (2 of 3)

bass2

/ (bæs) /


noun
  1. any of various sea perches, esp Morone labrax, a popular game fish with one large spiny dorsal fin separate from a second smaller one: See also sea bass, stone bass

  2. the European perch: See perch 2 (def. 1)

  1. any of various predatory North American freshwater percoid fishes, such as Micropterus salmoides, (largemouth bass): family Centrarchidae (sunfishes, etc)

Origin of bass

2
C15: changed from base ², influenced by Italian basso low

British Dictionary definitions for bass (3 of 3)

bass3

/ (bæs) /


noun
  1. another name for bast (def. 1)

  2. short for basswood

  1. Also called: fish bass a bast fibre bag for holding an angler's catch

Origin of bass

3
C17: changed from bast

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for bass

bass

[ (bays) ]


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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.