theorbo

[ thee-awr-boh ]

/ θiˈɔr boʊ /

noun, plural the·or·bos.

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

Nearby words

theophobia, theophrastus, theophylline, theophylline ethylenediamine, theor., theorbo, theorell, theorem, theoretic, theoretical, theoretical arithmetic

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

Related forms

the·or·bist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for theorbo

It was a kind of theorbo or bass-lute, but with one neck only, bent back at right angles to form the head.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3|Various
I had a good dinner for them, as a venison pasty and some fowl, and after dinner we did play, he on the theorbo.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete|Samuel Pepys
And every night the player of the theorbo left the wall, approached him, and spoke in a clear voice mingled with soft breathing.
Thais|Anatole France
The chitarrone was formerly called Roman theorbo, because it was principally used at Rome.
Musical Myths and Facts, Volume I (of 2)|Carl Engel

He recognised the player of the theorbo, who, partly relieved of his weight, raised her breast.
Thais|Anatole France

British Dictionary definitions for theorbo

theorbo

/ (θɪˈɔːbəʊ) /

noun plural -bos

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

Derived Forms

theorbist, noun

Word Origin for theorbo

C17: from Italian teorba, probably from Venetian, variant of tuorba travelling bag, ultimately from Turkish torba bag

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