bassoon

American  

[ba-soon, buh-] / bæˈsun, bə- /

noun

• bassoons
  plural

1. a large woodwind instrument of low range, with a doubled tube and a curved metal crook to which a double reed is attached.

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bassoon British  

/ bəˈsuːn /

noun

1. 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

2. an orchestral musician who plays the bassoon

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bassoon Cultural  

1. The second largest and second lowest pitched of the woodwinds. (The less common contrabassoon is larger and has a lower pitch.) It is played with a double reed.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bassoonist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bassoons
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bassoon

1720–30; < French basson < Italian bassone ( bass ( o ) low ( see base ²) + -one augmentative suffix)

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bassoon bassoons

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

A few years ago, Dad traded in his vintage Mercedes for a silver SUV with a trunk large enough to store Camille’s bassoon, Andre’s lacrosse gear, and my dance bag all at the same time.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

His 2023 release, “The Other One”—for which he conducted an ensemble including saxophones, bassoons, strings, percussion and piano—landed on the year-end best-of lists of several classical music critics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025

It's a deliciously strange, herky-jerky pop number, orchestrated by synth bassoons and merry-go-round organs.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2024

The funeral march may here and there have been in slight violation of Mahler’s instruction not to drag, but was brightened by darting oboes and mournful bassoons.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 20, 2023

His 2012 “Rushes,” written for seven bassoons, manages to achieve a grandiosity of colors from such restricted means.

From New York Times ● Oct. 20, 2017

"May I have flutes, clarinets, oboes—I don't suppose we have any bassoons? Ah! But there is one! Come up, come up!"

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

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