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bass

1
[ beys ]
/ beɪs /
Music.
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adjective
low in pitch; of the lowest pitch or range: a bass voice; a bass instrument.
of or relating to the lowest part in harmonic music.
noun
the bass part.
a bass voice, singer, or instrument.
double bass.
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Origin of bass

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bas, bass(e), baas, variant of base2 with ss of basso

OTHER WORDS FROM bass

bassly, adverbbassness, nounbassy, adjective

Other definitions for bass (2 of 4)

bass2
[ bas ]
/ bæs /
noun, plural (especially collectively) bass, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) bass·es.
any of numerous edible, spiny-finned, freshwater or marine fishes of the families Serranidae and Centrarchidae.
(originally) the European perch, Perca fluviatilis.

Origin of bass

2
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 ass2, passel, etc.); cognate with Dutch baars, German Barsch, Old Swedish agh-borre

Other definitions for bass (3 of 4)

bass3
[ bas ]
/ bæs /
noun
the basswood or linden.
bast.

Origin of bass

3
First recorded in 1675–85; variant of bast with unexplained loss of -t

Other definitions for bass (4 of 4)

Bass
[ bas ]
/ bæs /
noun
Sam, 1851–78, U.S. outlaw: bank and train robber in the West.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to bass

dark, extreme, great, hard, profound, rich, strong, vivid, deep, alto, baritone, contralto, grave, low, low-pitched, resonant, sonorous, booming, faint, gentle

How to use bass in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bass (1 of 3)

bass1
/ (beɪs) /
noun
adjective
relating to or denoting the bassbass pitch; the bass part
denoting the lowest and largest instrument in a familya bass trombone

Word Origin for bass

C15 bas base 1; modern spelling influenced by basso

British Dictionary definitions for bass (2 of 3)

bass2
/ (bæs) /
noun
any of various sea perches, esp Morone labrax, a popular game fish with one large spiny dorsal fin separate from a second smaller oneSee also sea bass, stone bass
the European perchSee perch 2 (def. 1)
any of various predatory North American freshwater percoid fishes, such as Micropterus salmoides, (largemouth bass): family Centrarchidae (sunfishes, etc)
See also black bass, rock bass

Word Origin for bass

C15: changed from base ², influenced by Italian basso low

British Dictionary definitions for bass (3 of 3)

bass3
/ (bæs) /
noun
another name for bast (def. 1)
short for basswood
Also called: fish bass a bast fibre bag for holding an angler's catch

Word Origin for bass

C17: changed from bast
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

Cultural definitions for bass

bass
[ (bays) ]

The lowest range of the male singing voice. (Compare baritone and tenor.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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