plural bass or basses
: any of numerous edible marine or freshwater bony fishes (especially families Centrarchidae, Serranidae, and Percichthyidae of the order Perciformes)
plural basses
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: such as
(1)
(2)
2
: a deep or grave tone : a low-pitched sound
Examples of bass in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 9 June 2026
The basis of this is broadcasting high and low sounds from exactly the same point, rather than in traditional speaker design where bass and treble come from a woofer and a tweeter spaced perhaps several inches apart.
—New Atlas, 8 June 2026
In keeping with the show’s defiance of mortality, Lee and Lifeson seemed to have almost aged in reverse since 2015, with Lifeson notably trimmer and musically nimble, and Lee pummeling his bass while skipping around the stage faster than any 72-year-old should be able to manage.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Lee, 72, has maintained his trademark look of shoulder-length brown hair and tinted glasses and bounced between nimble bass playing and a bank of synthesizers.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bass
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Noun
Sonos Bluetooth Speaker Deal The Sonos Move 2 updates portable audio with a dual-tweeter architecture that delivers rich, high-fidelity stereo sound and dynamic bass.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 9 June 2026
The basis of this is broadcasting high and low sounds from exactly the same point, rather than in traditional speaker design where bass and treble come from a woofer and a tweeter spaced perhaps several inches apart.
—New Atlas, 8 June 2026
In keeping with the show’s defiance of mortality, Lee and Lifeson seemed to have almost aged in reverse since 2015, with Lifeson notably trimmer and musically nimble, and Lee pummeling his bass while skipping around the stage faster than any 72-year-old should be able to manage.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Lee, 72, has maintained his trademark look of shoulder-length brown hair and tinted glasses and bounced between nimble bass playing and a bank of synthesizers.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bass
Cite this Entry
“Bass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bass. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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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