plural bass or basses
: any of numerous edible marine or freshwater bony fishes (especially families Centrarchidae, Serranidae, and Percichthyidae of the order Perciformes)
1
: deep or grave in tone
2
a
: of low pitch
b
: relating to or having the range or part of a bass
1
a
: the lowest voice part in a 4-part chorus
b
: the lower half of the whole vocal or instrumental tonal range compare treble entry 1
c
: the lowest adult male singing voice
also
: a person having this voice
d
: a member of a family of instruments having the lowest range
especially
: double bass
2
: a deep or grave tone : a low-pitched sound
1
2
: a coarse tough fiber from palms
Examples of bass in a Sentence
Adjective
the sound of the bass drum
a man with an impressive bass voice
Recent Examples on the Web
PC Magazine, 3 Dec. 2025
Sea bass is high in protein and is a good source of vitamins and minerals, like vitamin B6.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 3 Dec. 2025
Jay Dee Daugherty was her drummer on Horses; Tony Shanahan has been with her on piano, bass, guitar, and vocals since her 1996 creative rebirth; the guitarist happens to be her son Jackson.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2025
Designed to play like a space-time continuum flattening jukebox, the album’s tracks weave in dialogue from The NeverEnding Story and Scarface along with samples from Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, which are all nestled among the psychedelic bass music.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bass
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Noun
Best Earbuds Deals at Amazon Beats Studio Buds arrive with active noise cancellation, big bass balanced by crisp highs, and one-touch pairing for Android and iOS, streamlining setup from the start, all at a 34% discount.
—PC Magazine, 3 Dec. 2025
Sea bass is high in protein and is a good source of vitamins and minerals, like vitamin B6.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 3 Dec. 2025
Jay Dee Daugherty was her drummer on Horses; Tony Shanahan has been with her on piano, bass, guitar, and vocals since her 1996 creative rebirth; the guitarist happens to be her son Jackson.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2025
Designed to play like a space-time continuum flattening jukebox, the album’s tracks weave in dialogue from The NeverEnding Story and Scarface along with samples from Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, which are all nestled among the psychedelic bass music.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bass
Cite this Entry
“Bass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bass. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bass
1 of 2 noun
plural bass or basses
: any of various spiny-finned freshwater or saltwater sport and food fishes
bass
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the lowest musical part in harmony for four parts compare alto sense 1b, soprano entry 2 sense 1, tenor sense 2a
b
: the lower half of a musical tone range compare treble
2
a
: the lowest male singing voice or a person who has this voice
b
: a person or instrument performing the bass part
bass
adjective
Etymology
Noun
Old English bærs "bass"
Noun
Middle English bas (adjective) "being or having a low solemn tone"
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