bassoon

bas·soon

noun \bə-ˈsün, ba-\

Definition of BASSOON

: a double-reed woodwind instrument having a long U-shaped conical tube connected to the mouthpiece by a thin metal tube and a usual range two octaves lower than that of the oboe

— bas·soon·ist \-ˈsü-nist\ noun

Illustration of BASSOON

Origin of BASSOON

French basson, from Italian bassone, from basso

First Known Use: 1724

Rhymes with BASSOON

aswoon, attune, baboon, balloon, blue moon, buffoon, Calhoun, Cancún, cardoon, cartoon, cocoon, commune, doubloon, dragoon, festoon, fine-tune, forenoon, full moon, gaboon, gadroon, galloon, Gudrun, half-moon, harpoon, high noon, immune, impugn, jargoon, jejune, Kowloon, Kunlun, lagoon, lampoon, lardoon, Maine coon, maroon, monsoon, Neptune, new moon, oppugn, Pashtun, patroon, platoon, poltroon, pontoon, premune, puccoon, quadroon, ratoon, repugn, rough-hewn, saloon, Sassoon, shalloon, soupspoon, spittoon, spontoon, teaspoon, tribune, triune, tuchun, tycoon, typhoon, untune, Walloon

bassoon

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Bassoon.—Courtesy of United Musical Instruments U.S.A., Inc., Elkhart, Indiana

Principal tenor and bass instrument of the orchestral woodwind family. Its mouthpiece has a double reed attached to a curved metal crook, which leads to a narrow conical bore that doubles back on itself (to keep its length manageable). It developed from the older curtal (or dulzian) in the 17th century. An agile instrument with a mild tone, it has a range of 3 octaves, starting at B-flat two octaves below middle C. The contrabassoon, a large metal instrument whose tubing doubles back four times, has a range an octave lower.