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basset horn

noun
  1. an alto horn with a soft tone.
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Origin of basset horn

1825–35; < German Bassetthorn < Italian corno di bassetto horn of a somewhat low range. See corn2, basset1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for basset horn

Historical Examples

  • Mozart wrote several pieces for the basset-horn, and Beethoven employed it in his Prometheus overture.

    The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3

    Various

British Dictionary definitions for basset horn

basset horn

noun
  1. an obsolete woodwind instrument of the clarinet family
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Word Origin

C19: probably from German Bassetthorn, from Italian bassetto, diminutive of basso + horn
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