bass

¹ 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 ² 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 ³ American  

[bas] / bæs /

noun

1. the basswood or linden.

2. bast.

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Bass ⁴ American  

[bas] / bæs /

noun

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

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bass ¹ 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 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  

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

Origin of bass²

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

Origin of bass³

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

Explanation

A bass sound or instrument is the deepest. If a barbershop quartet sings “Happy Birthday” to you, the guy with the lowest voice is singing the bass part. A bass is also a type of saltwater fish. The word bass has two main meanings with separate pronunciations — bass with a high vowel sound (like base) ironically refers to very low sounds — bass instruments and singers are in the lowest part of the musical range, like the low rumble of a bass guitar. If you say bass with a low vowel sound, it's a type of fish. That kind of bass doesn’t add much to a harmony but is delicious with mashed potatoes.

Example Sentences

The Cockroaches is an alias that lead singer Mick Jagger, fellow founding bandmate Keith Richards and bass guitarist Ronnie Wood have used in the past to play secret shows.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

I’m really hopeful to introduce bass music to a lot of new people, because I believe the rising tide raises all ships.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

Together with Flea’s bass line, it creates a universally palatable sound that you don’t necessarily have to listen to closely to understand its positivity.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

In the studio and in meetings, Shulman has the restless energy of a kid—pacing around a room or fidgeting with a piano keyboard or bass guitar—combined with the intellectual affect of a quant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The bass and treble clefs were also once moveable, but it is now very rare to see them anywhere but in their standard positions.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

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