bassoon
Americannoun
noun
-
a woodwind instrument, the tenor of the oboe family. Range: about three and a half octaves upwards from the B flat below the bass staff
-
an orchestral musician who plays the bassoon
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bassoon
1720–30; < French basson < Italian bassone ( bass ( o ) low ( see base 2) + -one augmentative suffix)
Explanation
A bassoon is a musical instrument with a low, rich tone. A bassoon is like a deep, bass version of an oboe. In the category of woodwind instruments, which have reeds that rest on the musician's lips as she plays, the bassoon is the deepest-sounding. You will probably hear at least one bassoon if you attend a band or orchestral concert. The word bassoon comes from the 17th century French basson, sharing a Latin root with bass — bassus, or "low."
Vocabulary lists containing bassoon
Music to My Ears: Instrumental Vocab
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Musical Instruments - Introductory
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Musical Instruments - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Otto Mortensen’s Quintet for Winds followed, providing a showcase for players on flute, oboe/English horn, clarinet, bassoon and French horn.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
“Hildegard” is scored for a nine-member chamber ensemble — string quartet, bass, harp, flute, clarinet and bassoon — which are members of the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025
A daughter of musical parents, soprano Christiane Stutzmann and bass Christian Dupuy, Nathalie learned piano when she was young, then cello and bassoon.
From Seattle Times • May 4, 2023
Charles has anxiety but Oliver has sadness, deep and resonant as a tone from Jan's bassoon.
From Salon • Jan. 22, 2023
The past-tense forms of can, will, and may are could, would, and might, and these are the forms to use in back- shifting: Amy can play the bassoon.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
