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bass²

(bās)

a. A male singing voice of the lowest range.

b. A singer who has such a voice.

2. An instrument, especially a double bass or bass guitar, that produces tones in a low register.

3. A vocal or instrumental part written in a low register.

4. A low-pitched sound or tone: the deep bass of trucks braking on the highway nearby.

5. The tones in the lowest register of an instrument: a piano that is weak in the treble but has a very full sound in the bass.

adj.

1. Having a deep tone.

2. Low in pitch.

[Middle English bas, lowest musical part, from bas, low; see BASE².]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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