bass

1 of 4

noun (1)

plural bass or basses
: any of numerous edible marine or freshwater bony fishes (especially families Centrarchidae, Serranidae, and Percichthyidae of the order Perciformes)

bass

2 of 4

adjective

1
: deep or grave in tone
2
a
: of low pitch
b
: relating to or having the range or part of a bass

bass

3 of 4

noun (2)

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

bass

4 of 4

noun (3)

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
Adjective
However, the genre—characterized by fast breakbeats with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, samples and synthesizers—fell out of style in North America. Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023 Only People on the Planet Identified by: Late-night parties with music that appears to be entirely bass, screaming fights on the front yard, toddlers meandering aimlessly and unchaperoned on the street, animals of all sorts running off leash, at least three appearances by the cops. Kris Frieswick, WSJ, 3 June 2021 Grand Canyon National Park has seen a resurgence of humpback chubs pre-bass invasion, enough that they were downgraded from endangered to threatened. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2023 But its predecessor, Volume 3 (featuring Smokeface), has more of a hip-hop feel with booming Trap-like sub-bass lines, some active high-hats mixed with synths, sax, flute, and head-nodding, funky, loping grooves. cleveland, 10 Jan. 2023 Pitts, noted as a crappie guide as well as a pro-bass angler, can be contacted for trips on Weiss and Neely Henry lakes at www.pittsoutdoors.com. Frank Sargeant, al, 29 Sep. 2021
Noun
In rehearsals of the Shostakovich, for instance, the basses were instructed to slice a bit harder and bow a bit more quickly — a move that almost surmounted the hall’s comparably stingy lows. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The music, which Carpenter recorded with his longtime collaborators — Cody Carpenter (his son) and Daniel Davies (his godson) — throbs with propulsive bass and icy synths. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024 Lorenzo was a veteran Metropolitan Opera bass who often sang at Indiana University. The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Turner was a founding member of the band, along with his brother, bass player Richard Turner. Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Heavy drums that groove like a mutha with the bass. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 The band features Sprague on guitar along with Danny Green on piano and Mack Leighton on acoustic bass. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 The bass was returned intact, along with its original case. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Suffused with deconstructed production elements, slow-grooving bass lines and distorted background vocals filling the backend like a chorus of ghostly past lovers, Wilson commands your attention with a wistful vocal, resonating with soul-shaking emotion on every single note. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English base, bærs, from Old English bærs; akin to Old High German bersich perch

Adjective

Middle English bas base — more at base entry 3

Noun (2)

Middle English bas, noun derivative of bas base entry 2

Noun (3)

alteration of bast

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (3)

1774, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bass was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bass

Cite this Entry

“Bass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bass. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids 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 noun
1
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"

More from Merriam-Webster on bass

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!