bourdon

American  

[boor-dn, bawr-, bohr-] / ˈbʊər dn, ˈbɔr-, ˈboʊr- /

noun

Music.

1. 1. the drone pipe of a bagpipe.

   2. the drone string of a stringed instrument.

2. a low-pitched tone; bass.

3. a pipe organ stop of very low pitch.

4. the bell in a carillon having the lowest pitch.

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bourdon British  

/ ˈbɔːdən, ˈbʊədən /

noun

1. a 16-foot organ stop of the stopped diapason type

2. the drone of a bagpipe

3. a drone or pedal point in the bass of a harmonized melody

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Etymology

Origin of bourdon

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French; see burden ²

Example Sentences

At the cathedral, the coffin was brought into the vast chamber and a bourdon bell tolled.

From New York Times • Sep. 1, 2018

French hospital is now open and ready to receive the wounded at the french lycee in rue marcadieux bourdon Update | 1:49 p.m.

From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2010

It resembles the bourdon stop on the organ, and in the lowest register, more especially, the tone is somewhat hollow and wanting in power although mellower than that of the bassoon.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" by Various

The combination of the faux bourdon and the remnant of the organum gives us the foundation for our modern tone system.

From Critical and Historical Essays Lectures delivered at Columbia University by Baltzell, W. J. (Winton James)

Madame Patel and Chardon, a moment later, were walking slowly down the broad avenue of trees through which drawled the bourdon of the breeze this night in early May.

From Melomaniacs by Huneker, James