double bass

American  

[beys] / beɪs /

noun

double basses plural

1. the largest instrument of the violin family, having three or, usually, four strings, rested vertically on the floor when played.

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double bass British  

/ beɪs /

noun

1. Informal name: bass fiddle.  Also called (US): bass viol.  a stringed instrument, the largest and lowest member of the violin family. Range: almost three octaves upwards from E in the space between the fourth and fifth leger lines below the bass staff. It is normally bowed in classical music, but it is very common in a jazz or dance band, where it is practically always played pizzicato

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adjective

1. of or relating to an instrument whose pitch lies below that regarded as the bass; contrabass

double bass Cultural  

1. Another name for the bass viol.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• double bassist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• double basses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of double bass

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

Closely related to the European double bass, the tololoche is smaller in size.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2024

The new material introduced a more mature, rootsy sound for 26-year-old, whose nimble acoustic guitar playing was supplemented by double bass, mandolin and violin.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2024

“Overture” sets the tone, with a wandering double bass that leads softly into classic Ellington orchestrations.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2023

And on the new Blink album, he played double bass for the first time.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2023

The conductor lifts his baton, and I'm invigorated hearing the familiar passages: the drone of the double bass as the heartrending introduction begins, the strings peeling away layers like birch bark.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper