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  

/ 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  

/ 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 ³ 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 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

Example Sentences

It opens with rumbling drums, a wandering upright bass, and an atmospheric synthesizer.

From Los Angeles Times

Dalton adjusts the strap of his bass guitar slung over his shoulder.

From Literature

The gleaming white tile spreads in front of us like a road and the walls vibrate with the bass coming from the enormous speakers in the living room to the right.

From Literature

The bass genius Thundercat has, to his regret, been spending way too much time absorbing bad news on his phone.

From Los Angeles Times

After “Let ’Em In,” McCartney asked his band member Brian Ray to show off the song’s all-important bass line: a single note plucked over and over and over again.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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