contrabassoon

[ kon-truh-ba-soon, -buh- ]

noun

1. a bassoon larger in size and an octave lower in pitch than the ordinary bassoon; a double bassoon.

contrabassoon

/ ˌkɒntrəbəˈsuːn /

noun

1. the largest instrument in the oboe family, pitched an octave below the bassoon; double bassoon

Derived Forms

• ˌcontrabasˈsoonist, noun

Other Words From

• contra·bas·soonist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of contrabassoon¹

First recorded in 1890–95; contra- ²( def ) + bassoon

Example Sentences

The performances also feature long stretches with two bass players and, aside from Coltrane’s saxophones, there are musicians bringing in the unusual-for-jazz timbres of the oboe, bass clarinet and contrabassoon.

From Washington Post