figured bass
[ beys ]
/ beɪs /
noun Music.
a bass part in which the notes have numbers under them indicating the chords to be played.
Nearby words
figure skating, figure up, figure-ground, figure-ground phenomenon, figured, figured bass, figured glass, figurehead, figurine, figwort, figwort family
Origin of figured bass
First recorded in 1795–1805
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for figured bass
figured bass
/ (beɪs) /
noun
a shorthand method of indicating a thorough-bass part in which each bass note is accompanied by figures indicating the intervals to be played in the chord above it in the realization
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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