Bass

¹ American  

[bas] / bæs /

noun

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

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bass ² American  

[bas] / bæs /

noun

1. the basswood or linden.

2. bast.

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bass ³ American  

[beys] / beɪs /

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.

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noun

1. the bass part.

2. a bass voice, singer, or instrument.

3. double bass.

bass ⁴ American  

[bas] / bæs /

noun

plural

bass,

plural

basses

1. any of numerous edible, spiny-finned, freshwater or marine fishes of the families Serranidae and Centrarchidae.

2. (originally) the European perch, Perca fluviatilis.

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bass ¹ British  

/ 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

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

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bass ² British  

/ bæs /

noun

1. another name for bast

2. short for basswood

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

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bass ³ British  

/ 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

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

4. informal short for bass guitar double bass

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

   2. the knob controlling this on such an instrument

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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

bass Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• bassly adverb
• bassness noun
• bassy adjective

Etymology

Origin of bass¹

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

Origin of bass¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bas, bass(e), baas, variant of base ² with ss of basso

Origin of bass¹

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 ass ², passel, etc.); cognate with Dutch baars, German Barsch, Old Swedish agh-borre

Example Sentences

Elsewhere, careful augmentation of the guitar/bass/drum arrangements expands the emotional range.

From The Wall Street Journal

Expansive vocal backgrounds were blended with a pronounced bass, synthesizers, chattering horns and pounding drums.

From The Wall Street Journal

I played it on the piano, Philip Bailey sang, and Verdeen was on the bass.

From Los Angeles Times

He went on to play guitar, keyboard and bass on five studio albums, featuring on tracks including Friday I'm In Love, High and A Letter To Elise.

From BBC

The songs emphasize groove, bass lines and upbeat, flamboyant vocals, delivered with a theatrical, character-driven flair.

From Salon

Related Words

• dark
• extreme
• great
• hard
• profound
• rich
• strong
• vivid