bass

• POS: Adjective, Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

bass, n. [A corruption of barse.].

•  An edible, spiny-finned fish, esp. of the genera Roccus, Labrax, and related genera. There are many species.  [1913 Webster]

  " The common European bass is Labrax lupus. American species are: the striped bass (Roccus lineatus); white or silver bass of the lakes (Roccus chrysops); brass or yellow bass (Roccus interruptus)."  [1913 Webster]
•  The two American fresh-water species of black bass (genus Micropterus). See Black bass.  [1913 Webster]
•  Species of Serranus, the sea bass and rock bass. See Sea bass.  [1913 Webster]
•  The southern, red, or channel bass (Sciæna ocellata). See Redfish.  [1913 Webster]

  " The name is also applied to many other fishes. See Calico bass, under Calico."  [1913 Webster]

bass, n. [A corruption of bast.].

•  The linden or lime tree, sometimes wrongly called whitewood; also, its bark, which is used for making mats. See Bast.  [1913 Webster]
•  A hassock or thick mat.  [1913 Webster]

bass, n. [F. basse, fr. bas low. See Base, a.].

•  A bass, or deep, sound or tone.  [1913 Webster]
•  The lowest part in a musical composition.  [1913 Webster]

Thorough bass. See Thorough bass.

bass, a. 

 Deep or grave in tone.  [1913 Webster]

Bass clef (Mus.), the character placed at the beginning of the staff containing the bass part of a musical composition. [See Illust. under Clef.] -- Bass voice, a deep-sounding voice; a voice fitted for singing bass.

bass, v. t. 

 To sound in a deep tone.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bass, n. & adj.
--n.
1 a the lowest adult male singing voice. b a singer with this voice. c a part written for it.
2 the lowest part in harmonized music.
3 a an instrument that is the lowest in pitch in its family. b its player.
4 colloq. a a bass guitar or double-bass. b its player.
5 the low-frequency output of a radio, record-player, etc., corresponding to the bass in music.
--adj.
1 lowest in musical pitch.
2 deep-sounding.

Idiom

bass clef a clef placing F below middle C on the second highest line of the staff. bass viol
1 a a viola da gamba. b its player.
2 US a double-bass.

Derivative

bassist n. (in sense 4).

bass, n. (pl. same or basses)
1 the common perch.
2 a a marine fish of the family Serranidae, with spiny fins. b a similar N. American marine fish, Morone saxatilis.
3 any of various American freshwater fish, esp. Micropterus salmoides.

bass, n. = BAST.

Etymology

alt. f. BAST

THESAURUS

bass

A string, Amati, Cremona, D string, E string, G string, Heldentenor, Meistersinger, Strad, Stradivari, Stradivarius, accompaniment, alto, aria singer, baritenor, baritone, bass viol, basso, basso buffo, basso cantante, basso continuo, basso ostinato, basso profundo, bassus, blues singer, bourdon, bow, bravura, bridge, bull fiddle, burden, canary, cantatrice, canto, cantor, cantus, cantus figuratus, cantus planus, caroler, cello, chanter, chantress, chest voice, choral, choric, coloratura, coloratura soprano, comic bass, continuo, contrabass, contralto, countertenor, crooner, crowd, deep, deep bass, deep-echoing, deep-pitched, deep-toned, deepmouthed, descant, diva, double bass, dramatic, dramatic soprano, drone, drone bass, falsetto, fiddle, fiddlebow, fiddlestick, figured bass, fingerboard, grave, ground bass, head voice, heavy, heroic, heroic tenor, hollow, hymnal, hymner, improvisator, kit, kit fiddle, kit violin, lead singer, lieder singer, line, liturgical, low, low-pitched, lyric, melodist, mezzo-soprano, opera singer, operatic, part, plain chant, plain song, prick song, prima donna, psalm singer, psalmic, psalmodial, psalmodic, rock-and-roll singer, sacred, scroll, sepulchral, singer, singing, singstress, songbird, songster, songstress, soprano, soundboard, string, tenor, tenor violin, thorough bass, torch singer, treble, tuning peg, undersong, viola, violin, violinette, violoncello, violoncello piccolo, violone, violotta, vocal, vocalist, vocalizer, voce, voce di petto, voce di testa, voice, voice part, warbler, yodeler

ROGET THESAURUS

bass

Animal

N animal, animal kingdom, fauna, brute creation, beast, brute, creature, critter, wight, created being, creeping thing, living thing, dumb animal, dumb creature, zoophyte, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, crustacean, shellfish, mollusk, worm, insect, arthropod, microbe, microbe, animalcule, alligator, crocodile, saurian, dinosaur (extinct), snake, serpent, viper, eft, asp, aspick, frog, toad, trout, bass, tuna, muskelunge, sailfish, sardine, mackerel, ant, mosquito, bee, honeybee, tardigrade, spider, biped, quadruped, webfoot, flocks and herds, live stock, domestic animals, wild animals, game, ferae naturae, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, denizens of the sea, black game, black grouse, blackcock, duck, grouse, plover, rail, snipe, horse, cattle, kine, ox, bull, bullock, cow, milch cow, calf, heifer, shorthorn, sheep, lamb, lambkin, ewe, ram, tup, pig, swine, boar, hog, sow, steer, stot, tag, teg, bison, buffalo, yak, zebu, dog, cat, dog, hound, pup, puppy, whelp, cur, mongrel, house dog, watch dog, sheep dog, shepherd's dog, sporting dog, fancy dog, lap dog, toy dog, bull dog, badger dog, mastiff, blood hound, grey hound, stag hound, deer hound, fox hound, otter hound, harrier, beagle, spaniel, pointer, setter, retriever, Newfoundland, water dog, water spaniel, pug, poodle, turnspit, terrier, fox terrier, Skye terrier, Dandie Dinmont, collie, feline, puss, pussy, grimalkin, gib cat, tom cat, fox, Reynard, vixen, stag, deer, hart, buck, doe, roe, caribou, coyote, elk, moose, musk ox, sambar, bird, poultry, fowl, cock, hen, chicken, chanticleer, partlet, rooster, dunghill cock, barn door fowl, feathered tribes, feathered songster, singing bird, dicky bird, canary, warbler, finch, aberdevine, cushat, cygnet, ringdove, siskin, swan, wood pigeon, vermin, varmint, pest, animal, zoological equine, bovine, vaccine, canine, feline, fishy, piscatory, piscatorial, molluscous, vermicular, gallinaceous, rasorial, solidungulate, soliped.

Resonance

N resonance, ring, ringing, tintinabulation, reflexion, reflection, reverberation, echo, reecho, zap, zot, buzz (hiss), low note, base note, bass note, flat note, grave note, deep note, bass, basso, basso profondo, baritone, barytone, contralto, echo chamber, resonator, tinnitus, bell, doorbell, buzzer, gong, cymbals (musical instruments), sympathetic vibrations, natural frequency, coupled vibration frequency, overtone, resonating cavity, sounding board, tuning fork, tuning, squelch, frequency selection, resonator, resonator circuit, radio resonant structure, aromaticity, alternating double bonds, non-bonded resonance, pi clouds, unsaturation, double bond, (valence), resounding, resonant, reverberant, tinnient, tintinnabulary, sonorous, booming, deep-toned, deep-sounding, deep-mouthed, vibrant, hollow, sepulchral, gruff, sweet bells jangled, out of time and harsh, echoing down the mountain and through the dell.

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.

Musical Instruments

N musical instruments, band, string-band, brass-band, orchestra, orchestrina, monochord, polychord, harp, lyre, lute, archlute, mandola, mandolin, mandoline, guitar, zither, cither, cithern, gittern, rebeck, bandurria, bandura, banjo, bina, vina, xanorphica, viol, violin, fiddle, kit, viola, viola d'amore, viola di gamba, tenor, cremona, violoncello, bass, bass viol, base viol, theorbo, double base, contrabasso, violone, psaltery, bow, fiddlestick, piano, pianoforte, harpsichord, clavichord, clarichord, manichord, clavier, spinet, virginals, dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, vielle, pianino, Eolian harp, organ, harmonium, harmoniphon, American organ, barrel organ, hand organ, accordion, seraphina, concertina, humming top, flute, fife, piccolo, flageolet, clarinet, claronet, basset horn, corno di bassetto, oboe, hautboy, cor Anglais, corno Inglese, bassoon, double bassoon, contrafagotto, serpent, bass clarinet, bagpipes, union pipes, musette, ocarina, Pandean pipes, reed instrument, sirene, pipe, pitch-pipe, sourdet, whistle, catcall, doodlesack, harmoniphone, horn, bugle, cornet, cornet-a-pistons, cornopean, clarion, trumpet, trombone, ophicleide, French horn, saxophone, sax, buglehorn, saxhorn, flugelhorn, althorn, helicanhorn, posthorn, sackbut, euphonium, bombardon tuba, cymbal, bell, gong, tambour, tambourine, tamborine, drum, tom-tom, tabor, tabret, tabourine, taborin, side drum, kettle drum, timpani, tympani, tymbal, timbrel, castanet, bones, musical glasses, musical stones, harmonica, sounding-board, rattle, tam-tam, zambomba, reed, tuning fork, triangle, Jew's harp, musical box, harmonicon, xylophone, sordine, sordet, sourdine, sourdet, mute, (iv) PERCEPTION OF SOUND.