contrabass
[ kon-truh-beys ]
noun
(in any family of instruments) the member below the bass.
(in the violin family) the double bass.
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of such instruments: a contrabass trombone.
Origin of contrabass
1From Italian, dating back to 1590–1600; see origin at contrabasso
Other words from contrabass
- con·tra·bass·ist [kon-truh-bey-sist, -bas-ist], /ˈkɒn trəˌbeɪ sɪst, -ˌbæs ɪst/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for contrabass
contrabass
/ (ˌkɒntrəˈbeɪs) /
noun
a member of any of various families of musical instruments that is lower in pitch than the bass
another name for double bass
adjective
of or denoting the instrument of a family that is lower than the bass
Derived forms of contrabass
- contrabassist (ˌkɒntrəˈbeɪsɪst, -ˈbæs-), noun
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
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