viola da gamba
Americannoun
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Also called gamba. an old musical instrument of the viol family, held on or between the knees: superseded by the modern violoncello; bass viol.
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an organ stop of eight-foot pitch giving a stringlike tone.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of viola da gamba
First recorded 1590–1600; from Italian: literally, “viol for the leg”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Harpsichord and viola da gamba act as soloists as well as continuo; a modern lute song is a lullaby.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
This is where Jones’ viola da gamba comes in.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2023
Stephen Taylor’s humane oboe took on the character of a vocal soloist, and Mélisande Corriveau’s viola da gamba had crisp, authoritative articulation befitting her prominent placement at center stage.
From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2022
Sarah Stone, who plays cello and viola da gamba, has stuck to her “Bach Everyday” performances from her apartment in New York City.
From Washington Post • Jul. 9, 2020
The violin’s absence of frets, which had been a feature of the viola da gamba family and the lute, also allowed its player greater freedom in the tuning and individuality of phrasing.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
