plural bass or basses
: any of numerous edible marine or freshwater bony fishes (especially families Centrarchidae, Serranidae, and Percichthyidae of the order Perciformes)
1
: deep or grave in tone
2
a
: of low pitch
b
: relating to or having the range or part of a bass
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
1
2
: a coarse tough fiber from palms
Synonyms
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
Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
Was cuddled his bass lovingly, swaying in time as the orchestra stretched out late.
—Jim Ryan, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Recorded between June and August of 1970 with Billy Cox on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums, the audio discs are loaded with 39 tracks (38 of which are previously unreleased) that give fans the most vivid picture of where Jimi was headed creatively before his untimely passing.
—Ron Hart, SPIN, 29 Nov. 2024
Junior Devan Yasuhara, who plays bass with the Preservationists, said he is inspired by his grandfather’s love of jazz.
—Cyril Reinicke, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bass 
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Noun
Advertisement The church’s orchestra now has about 18 members ranging in age from 9 to 20, playing violin, viola, bass and cello.
—Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
Was cuddled his bass lovingly, swaying in time as the orchestra stretched out late.
—Jim Ryan, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Recorded between June and August of 1970 with Billy Cox on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums, the audio discs are loaded with 39 tracks (38 of which are previously unreleased) that give fans the most vivid picture of where Jimi was headed creatively before his untimely passing.
—Ron Hart, SPIN, 29 Nov. 2024
Junior Devan Yasuhara, who plays bass with the Preservationists, said he is inspired by his grandfather’s love of jazz.
—Cyril Reinicke, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bass
Dictionary Entries Near bass
Cite this Entry
“Bass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bass. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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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