basso profundo

[ bas-oh proh-fuhn-doh, -foon-, pruh-, bah-soh ]

/ ˈbæs oʊ proʊˈfʌn doʊ, -ˈfʊn-, prə-, ˈbɑ soʊ /

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noun, plural bas·si pro·fun·di

[bas-ee proh-fuhn-dee, bah-see]. /ˈbæs i proʊˈfʌn di, ˈbɑ si/.

a singer with a bass voice of the lowest range.

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Origin of basso profundo

First recorded in 1855–60, basso profundo is from Italian basso profondo literally, “deep bass.” See basso, profound

Words nearby basso profundo

bassist, basso, basso cantante, basso continuo, bassoon, basso profundo, basso-relievo, basso rilievo, bass reflex, bass response, bass saxophone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use basso profundo in a sentence

But for Basso (Super 8), keeping a straight face during these scenes was easier said then done.
‘The Kings of Summer’ Stars on Survival Skills, Girls, Becoming Men, and More|Anna Klassen|May 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Basso said Alleman had a genetic predisposition for cardiac problems, as both of his parents died of heart attacks in their 50s.
The Heart Attack Grill Lives Up to Its Name|David Frum|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"He lived a very full life," said Basso, who seemed shaken when reached by phone Monday evening.
The Heart Attack Grill Lives Up to Its Name|David Frum|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Basso recalled Alleman as a fun-loving man who loved the Heart Attack Grill.
The Heart Attack Grill Lives Up to Its Name|David Frum|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Dmitri had been a basso profundo singer, and to this day retains a commanding voice as well as a keen ear.
Reading Nabokov to Nabokov|Lila Azam Zanganeh|February 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He passed them by, and haughty tenor and swaggering basso again took heart of grace.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
She stood by the gate and pumped up basso-profundo bawls from her second or lower stomach.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
For him Gibson executed a basso rilievo in terra-cotta, now in the Liverpool museum.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 8|Various
The inner apartments are much the same as the portico, all covered with figures in basso relievo.
The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts
Not far from it, on the side of a large well, was fixed a stone with three figures carved on it, in basso relievo.
Early Travels in Palestine|Arculf et al.

British Dictionary definitions for basso profundo

basso profundo

/ (prəʊˈfʌndəʊ, Italian proˈfundo) /

noun plural -dos

(esp in operatic solo singing) a singer with a very deep bass voice

Word Origin for basso profundo

Italian, literally: deep bass

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