bass
1[ beys ]
/ beɪs /
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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
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Origin of bass
1OTHER WORDS FROM bass
bassly, adverbbassness, nounbassy, adjectiveOther 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.
Other definitions for bass (3 of 4)
Origin of bass
3First 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.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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
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Cultural definitions for bass
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.