theorbo

American  

[thee-awr-boh] / θiˈɔr boʊ /

noun

PLURAL

theorbos

1. an obsolete bass lute with two sets of strings attached to separate peg boxes, one above the other, on the neck.

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theorbo British  

/ θɪˈɔːbəʊ /

noun

1. music an obsolete form of the lute, having two necks, one above the other, the second neck carrying a set of unstopped sympathetic bass strings

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Other Word Forms

• theorbist noun

Etymology

Origin of theorbo

1595–1605; < Italian teorba, variant of tiorba, special use of Venetian tiorba, variant of tuorba traveling bag ≪ Turkish torba bag; so called from the bag it was carried in

Example Sentences

The instrumental consort—three viols, two violins, harpsichord and lute/theorbo—offered an invigorating collection of Elizabethan and Jacobean hits by such contemporaneous composers as William Brade, William Lawes, John Dowland and Anthony Holborne.

From The Wall Street Journal

This will not be Monteverdi as we have heard him; there will be nary a period instrument in sight, neither a harpsichord nor a sackbut, a theorbo nor a cornett.

From New York Times

Otherwise, though, Muhly was left to translate the material into his own compositional language, which he had come to in dialogue with early music and even early instruments; among his published scores is a “Berceuse With Seven Variations” for solo theorbo.

From New York Times

A harpsichord, a theorbo and a viola da gamba sound alongside an upright piano and an electric organ.

From New York Times

Enjoy concert pieces by Vivaldi, Handel and Telemann and dance music from the court of King Louis XIV, featuring the baroque cello, viol, theorbo and harpsichord.

From Seattle Times