Adjacent Words

Bass definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

B'ASS, n. [It has no plural.] The name of several species of fish. In England, this name is given to a species of perch, called by some the sea-wolf, from its voracity, and resembling, in a degree, the trout in shape, but having a larger head. It weighs about fifteen pounds. In the northern states of America, this name is given to a striped fish which grows to the weight of 25 or 30 pounds, and which enters the rivers; the perca ocellata.
A species of striped fish, of a darker color, with a large head, is called sea-bass, as it is never found in fresh water. This fish grows to two or three pounds weight. Both species are well tasted, but the proper bass is a very white and delicious food.
B'ASS, n. The linden, lime or tiel tree; called also bass-wood. [See Bast.]
2. [pron.bas.] A mat to kneel on in churches.
BASS, n. In music, the base; the deepest or gravest part of a tune. This word is thus written in imitation of the Italian basso, which is the Eng. base, low; yet with the pronunciation of base and plural bases, a gross error that ought to be corrected; as the word used in pronunciation is the English word base.
BASS, v.t. To sound in a deep tone.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having or denoting a low vocal or instrumental range; "a deep voice"; "a bass voice is lower than a baritone voice"; "a bass clarinet" [syn: bass, deep] n
1: the lowest part of the musical range
2: the lowest part in polyphonic music [syn: bass, bass part]
3: an adult male singer with the lowest voice [syn: bass, basso]
4: the lean flesh of a saltwater fish of the family Serranidae [syn: sea bass, bass]
5: any of various North American freshwater fish with lean flesh (especially of the genus Micropterus) [syn: freshwater bass, bass]
6: the lowest adult male singing voice [syn: bass, bass voice, basso]
7: the member with the lowest range of a family of musical instruments
8: nontechnical name for any of numerous edible marine and freshwater spiny-finned fishes

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural bass or basses) Etymology: Middle English base, bærs, from Old English bærs; akin to Old High German bersich perch Date: before 12th century any of numerous edible marine or freshwater bony fishes (especially families Centrarchidae, Serranidae, and Percichthyidae of the order Perciformes) II. adjective Etymology: Middle English bas base — more at base Date: 15th century 1. deep or grave in tone 2. a. of low pitch b. relating to or having the range or part of a bass III. noun Date: 15th century 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 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 IV. noun Etymology: alteration of bast Date: 1691 1. basswood 1 2. a coarse tough fiber from palms

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & adj. --n. 1 a the lowest adult male singing voice. b a singer with this voice. c a part written for it. 2 the lowest part in harmonized music. 3 a an instrument that is the lowest in pitch in its family. b its player. 4 colloq. a a bass guitar or double-bass. b its player. 5 the low-frequency output of a radio, record-player, etc., corresponding to the bass in music. --adj. 1 lowest in musical pitch. 2 deep-sounding. Phrases and idioms: bass clef a clef placing F below middle C on the second highest line of the staff. bass viol 1 a a viola da gamba. b its player. 2 US a double-bass. Derivatives: bassist n. (in sense 4). Etymology: alt. of BASE(2) after It. basso 2. n. (pl. same or basses) 1 the common perch. 2 a a marine fish of the family Serranidae, with spiny fins. b a similar N. American marine fish, Morone saxatilis. 3 any of various American freshwater fish, esp. Micropterus salmoides. Etymology: earlier barse f. OE bærs 3. n. = BAST. Etymology: alt. f. BAST

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bass Bass, n. [A corruption of bast.] 1. (Bot.) The linden or lime tree, sometimes wrongly called whitewood; also, its bark, which is used for making mats. See Bast. 2. (Pron. ?) A hassock or thick mat.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bass Bass, n. [F. basse, fr. bas low. See Base, a.] 1. A bass, or deep, sound or tone. 2. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part in a musical composition. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, bass. [Written also base.] Thorough bass. See Thorough bass.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bass Bass, a. Deep or grave in tone. Bass clef (Mus.), the character placed at the beginning of the staff containing the bass part of a musical composition. [See Illust. under Clef.] Bass voice, a deep-sounding voice; a voice fitted for singing bass.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bass Bass, n.; pl. Bass, and sometimes Basses. [A corruption of barse.] (Zo["o]l.) 1. An edible, spiny-finned fish, esp. of the genera Roccus, Labrax, and related genera. There are many species. Note: The common European bass is Labrax lupus. American species are: the striped bass (Roccus lineatus); white or silver bass of the lakes. (R. chrysops); brass or yellow bass (R. interruptus). 2. The two American fresh-water species of black bass (genus Micropterus). See Black bass. 3. Species of Serranus, the sea bass and rock bass. See Sea bass. 4. The southern, red, or channel bass (Sci[ae]na ocellata). See Redfish. Note: The name is also applied to many other fishes. See Calico bass, under Calico.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bass Bass, n.; pl. Bass, and sometimes Basses. [A corruption of barse.] (Zo["o]l.) 1. An edible, spiny-finned fish, esp. of the genera Roccus, Labrax, and related genera. There are many species. Note: The common European bass is Labrax lupus. American species are: the striped bass (Roccus lineatus); white or silver bass of the lakes. (R. chrysops); brass or yellow bass (R. interruptus). 2. The two American fresh-water species of black bass (genus Micropterus). See Black bass. 3. Species of Serranus, the sea bass and rock bass. See Sea bass. 4. The southern, red, or channel bass (Sci[ae]na ocellata). See Redfish. Note: The name is also applied to many other fishes. See Calico bass, under Calico.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bass Bass, v. t. To sound in a deep tone. [R.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

5. (Chem.) The positive, or non-acid component of a salt; a substance which, combined with an acid, neutralizes the latter and forms a salt; -- applied also to the hydroxides of the positive elements or radicals, and to certain organic bodies resembling them in their property of forming salts with acids. 6. (Pharmacy) The chief ingredient in a compound. 7. (Dyeing) A substance used as a mordant. --Ure. 8. (Fort.) The exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line which connects the salient angles of two adjacent bastions. 9. (Geom.) The line or surface constituting that part of a figure on which it is supposed to stand. 10. (Math.) The number from which a mathematical table is constructed; as, the base of a system of logarithms. 11. [See Base low.] A low, or deep, sound. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part; the deepest male voice. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, base. [Now commonly written bass.] The trebles squeak for fear, the bases roar. --Dryden. 12. (Mil.) A place or tract of country, protected by fortifications, or by natural advantages, from which the operations of an army proceed, forward movements are made, supplies are furnished, etc. 13. (Mil.) The smallest kind of cannon. [Obs.] 14. (Zo["o]l.) That part of an organ by which it is attached to another more central organ. 15. (Crystallog.) The basal plane of a crystal. 16. (Geol.) The ground mass of a rock, especially if not distinctly crystalline. 17. (Her.) The lower part of the field. See Escutcheon. 18. The housing of a horse. [Obs.] 19. pl. A kind of skirt ( often of velvet or brocade, but sometimes of mailed armor) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower. [Obs.] 20. The lower part of a robe or petticoat. [Obs.] 21. An apron. [Obs.] ``Bakers in their linen bases.'' --Marston. 22. The point or line from which a start is made; a starting place or a goal in various games. To their appointed base they went. --Dryden. 23. (Surv.) A line in a survey which, being accurately determined in length and position, serves as the origin from which to compute the distances and positions of any points or objects connected with it by a system of triangles. --Lyman. 24. A rustic play; -- called also prisoner's base, prison base, or bars. ``To run the country base.'' --Shak. 25. (Baseball) Any one of the four bounds which mark the circuit of the infield. Altern base. See under Altern. Attic base. (Arch.) See under Attic. Base course. (Arch.) (a) The first or lower course of a foundation wall, made of large stones of a mass of concrete; -- called also foundation course. (b) The architectural member forming the transition between the basement and the wall above. Base hit (Baseball), a hit, by which the batsman, without any error on the part of his opponents, is able to reach the first base without being put out. Base line. (a) A main line taken as a base, as in surveying or in military operations. (b) A line traced round a cannon at the rear of the vent. Base plate, the foundation plate of heavy machinery, as of the steam engine; the bed plate. Base ring (Ordnance), a projecting band of metal around the breech, connected with the body of the gun by a concave molding. --H. L. Scott.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Base Base (b[=a]s), a. [OE. bass, F. bas, low, fr. LL. bassus thick, fat, short, humble; cf. L. Bassus, a proper name, and W. bas shallow. Cf. Bass a part in music.] 1. Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs. [Archaic] --Shak. 2. Low in place or position. [Obs.] --Shak. 3. Of humble birth; or low degree; lowly; mean. [Archaic] ``A pleasant and base swain.'' --Bacon. 4. Illegitimate by birth; bastard. [Archaic] Why bastard? wherefore base? --Shak. 5. Of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and silver, the precious metals. 6. Alloyed with inferior metal; debased; as, base coin; base bullion. 7. Morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations. ``A cruel act of a base and a cowardish mind.'' --Robynson (More's Utopia). ``Base ingratitude.'' --Milton. 8. Not classical or correct. ``Base Latin.'' --Fuller. 9. Deep or grave in sound; as, the base tone of a violin. [In this sense, commonly written bass.] 10. (Law) Not held by honorable service; as, a base estate, one held by services not honorable; held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant, a base tenant. Base fee, formerly, an estate held at the will of the lord; now, a qualified fee. See note under Fee, n., 4. Base metal. See under Metal. Syn: Dishonorable; worthless; ignoble; low-minded; infamous; sordid; degraded. Usage: Base, Vile, Mean. These words, as expressing moral qualities, are here arranged in the order of their strength, the strongest being placed first. Base marks a high degree of moral turpitude; vile and mean denote, in different degrees, the want of what is valuable or worthy of esteem. What is base excites our abhorrence; what is vile provokes our disgust or indignation; what is mean awakens contempt. Base is opposed to high-minded; vile, to noble; mean, to liberal or generous. Ingratitude is base; sycophancy is vile; undue compliances are mean.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A bass is a man with a very deep singing voice. ...the great Russian bass Chaliapin. N-COUNT 2. A bass drum, guitar, or other musical instrument is one that produces a very deep sound. ...bass guitarist Dee Murray. ADJ: ADJ n 3. In popular music, a bass is a bass guitar or a double bass. ...Dave Ranson on bass and Kenneth Blevins on drums... N-VAR 4. On a stereo system or radio, the bass is the ability to reproduce the lower musical notes. The bass is also the knob which controls this. 5. Bass are edible fish that are found in rivers and the sea. There are several types of bass. They unloaded their catch of cod and bass. N-VAR • Bass is a piece of this fish eaten as food. ...a large fresh fillet of sea bass. N-UNCOUNT: oft n N

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. (Mus.) Low, deep, grave.

Moby Thesaurus

A string, Amati, Cremona, D string, E string, G string, Heldentenor, Meistersinger, Strad, Stradivari, Stradivarius, accompaniment, alto, aria singer, baritenor, baritone, bass viol, basso, basso buffo, basso cantante, basso continuo, basso ostinato, basso profundo, bassus, blues singer, bourdon, bow, bravura, bridge, bull fiddle, burden, canary, cantatrice, canto, cantor, cantus, cantus figuratus, cantus planus, caroler, cello, chanter, chantress, chest voice, choral, choric, coloratura, coloratura soprano, comic bass, continuo, contrabass, contralto, countertenor, crooner, crowd, deep, deep bass, deep-echoing, deep-pitched, deep-toned, deepmouthed, descant, diva, double bass, dramatic, dramatic soprano, drone, drone bass, falsetto, fiddle, fiddlebow, fiddlestick, figured bass, fingerboard, grave, ground bass, head voice, heavy, heroic, heroic tenor, hollow, hymnal, hymner, improvisator, kit, kit fiddle, kit violin, lead singer, lieder singer, line, liturgical, low, low-pitched, lyric, melodist, mezzo-soprano, opera singer, operatic, part, plain chant, plain song, prick song, prima donna, psalm singer, psalmic, psalmodial, psalmodic, rock-and-roll singer, sacred, scroll, sepulchral, singer, singing, singstress, songbird, songster, songstress, soprano, soundboard, string, tenor, tenor violin, thorough bass, torch singer, treble, tuning peg, undersong, viola, violin, violinette, violoncello, violoncello piccolo, violone, violotta, vocal, vocalist, vocalizer, voce, voce di petto, voce di testa, voice, voice part, warbler, yodeler