bass

1
[ beys ]
/ beɪs /
Music.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR bass ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

low in pitch; of the lowest pitch or range: a bass voice; a bass instrument.
of or relating to the lowest part in harmonic music.

noun

the bass part.
a bass voice, singer, or instrument.
double bass.

Origin of bass

1
1400–50; late Middle English, variant of base2 with ss of basso

OTHER WORDS FROM bass

bass·ly, adverb bass·ness, noun bass·y, adjective

Words nearby bass

basque, basque provinces, basque region, basque shirt, basra, bass, bass clef, bass drum, bass fiddle, bass guitar, bass horn

Definition for bass (2 of 4)

bass 2
[ bas ]
/ bæs /

noun, plural (especially collectively) bass, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) bass·es.

any of numerous edible, spiny-finned, freshwater or marine fishes of the families Serranidae and Centrarchidae.
(originally) the European perch, Perca fluviatilis.

Origin of bass

2
1375–1425; late Middle English bas, earlier bærs, Old English bærs (with loss of r before s as in ass2, passel, etc.); cognate with Dutch baars, German Barsch, Old Swedish agh-borre

Definition for bass (3 of 4)

bass 3
[ bas ]
/ bæs /

noun

the basswood or linden.
Botany. bast.

Origin of bass

3
1685–95; variant of bast with unexplained loss of -t

Definition for bass (4 of 4)

Bass
[ bas ]
/ bæs /

noun

Sam,1851–78, U.S. outlaw: bank and train robber in the West.

Words related to bass

great, vivid, profound, hard, dark, rich, strong, extreme, deep, alto, contralto, low, grave, baritone, low-pitched, resonant, sonorous, faint, gentle, muffled

Example sentences from the Web for bass

British Dictionary definitions for bass (1 of 3)

bass 1
/ (beɪs) /

noun

adjective

relating to or denoting the bass bass pitch; the bass part
denoting the lowest and largest instrument in a family a bass trombone

Word Origin for bass

C15 bas base 1; modern spelling influenced by basso

British Dictionary definitions for bass (2 of 3)

bass 2
/ (bæs) /

noun

any of various sea perches, esp Morone labrax, a popular game fish with one large spiny dorsal fin separate from a second smaller one See also sea bass, stone bass
the European perch See perch 2 (def. 1)
any of various predatory North American freshwater percoid fishes, such as Micropterus salmoides, (largemouth bass): family Centrarchidae (sunfishes, etc)
See also black bass, rock bass

Word Origin for bass

C15: changed from base ², influenced by Italian basso low

British Dictionary definitions for bass (3 of 3)

bass 3
/ (bæs) /

noun

another name for bast (def. 1)
short for basswood
Also called: fish bass a bast fibre bag for holding an angler's catch

Word Origin for bass

C17: changed from bast

Cultural definitions for bass

bass
[ (bays) ]

The lowest range of the male singing voice. (Compare baritone and tenor.)