viola da gamba
[ vee-oh-luh duh gahm-buh, -gam- ]
/ viˈoʊ lə də ˈgɑm bə, -ˈgæm- /
noun, plural viola da gambas.
an old musical instrument of the viol family, held on or between the knees: superseded by the modern violoncello; bass viol.
an organ stop of eight-foot pitch giving a stringlike tone.
Origin of viola da gamba
1590–1600; < Italian: literally, viol for the leg
Words nearby viola da gamba
viol,
viola,
viola clef,
viola d'amore,
viola da braccio,
viola da gamba,
violable,
violaceous,
violate,
violation,
violative
Example sentences from the Web for viola da gamba
John Nicolaus Bach (No. 9) was a town musician and good performer on the viola-da-gamba.
Bach |Charles Francis Abdy Williams
British Dictionary definitions for viola da gamba
viola da gamba
/ (vɪˈəʊlə də ˈɡæmbə) /
noun
the second largest and lowest member of the viol family
See viol
Word Origin for viola da gamba
C18: from Italian, literally: viol for the leg