theorbo

American  

[thee-awr-boh] / θiˈɔr boʊ /

noun

• theorbos
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• theorbist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• theorbos
  plural

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

theorbo theorbos

Ms. Salvant’s 2023 release, “Mélusine,” included songs that dated back to the 12th century, sung in four languages, and made prominent use of the theorbo, the plucked lute used for Baroque basso continuo accompaniment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

A pair of harps, placed antiphonally in boxes at opposite sides of the stage, plus a theorbo, offer an otherworldly descant, as do the sounds of the celesta and chimes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

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 ● Jul. 22, 2023

“The instrument itself is great fun to play and presents a whole different palette of colors and textures,” said Lenti, comparing it to the conventional acoustic theorbo he usually plays.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2017

He sang rarely well to the theorbo lute.

From The Natural History of Wiltshire by John Aubrey

And it invariably had to go with old, not modern, instruments: recorders, valveless horns, theorbos, violins with gut strings and Baroque bows.

From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2012

The players are from Juilliard415, the school’s early-music group, complemented by guest artists on the Baroque harp and theorbos.

From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2010

The front of the stage is opened, and the band of twenty-four violins, with the harpsicals and theorbos which accompany the voices, are placed between the pit and the stage.

From Dryden's Works Vol. 3 (of 18) Sir Martin Mar-All; The Tempest; An Evening's Love; Tyrannic Love by John Dryden

The homely sound, likewise, of a rustical hornpipe is more agreeable to my ears than the curious warbling and musical quavering of lutes, theorbos, viols, rebecs, and violins.

From Gargantua and Pantagruel, Illustrated, Book 3 by Peter Anthony Motteux

The front of the stage is opened, and the band of twenty-four violins with the harpsicals and theorbos which accompany the voices are placed between the pit and the stage.

From A Book of the Play Studies and Illustrations of Histrionic Story, Life, and Character by Dutton Cook

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