bass

¹

[beys]

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.

3. double bass.

bass

²

[bas]

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.

bass

³

[bas]

noun

1. the basswood or linden.

2. bast.

Bass

⁴

[bas]

noun

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

bass

¹

/ 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

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

/ 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)

bass

³

/ 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

bass

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

Other Word Forms

• bassly adverb
• bassness noun
• bassy adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bass¹

C15 bas _base ¹ ; modern spelling influenced by _basso

Origin of bass²

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

Origin of bass³

C17: changed from _bast

Example Sentences

Over spacey sirens and an accumulating bass line, on “Broken,” she admits to being “a fool / acting all cool” and being on her knees, without a sense of faith.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On several songs, Mr. Parker seems to dream of a normal life, one presumably where he can set aside obsessions such as spending weeks getting his bass guitar to sit perfectly in the mix.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

With steamy lyrics like “Cut the lights, turn the bass up, we gon’ hit some notes,” the original track was already making waves online when Kwn dropped it in November.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I got to be an adult, and I understood that my father had ethics, and morally, spiritually, he could not play electric bass,” says Lee.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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