the lowest part of the musical range
"The drummer asked the guitarist to drop a few notes so his playing would sit better in the bass of the song."
any of various North American freshwater fish with lean flesh (especially of the genus Micropterus)
"The angler spent all morning trolling for bass in the deep channels of Lake Michigan."
the lowest adult male singing voice
"The choir director assigned the deep, resonant bass parts to the ten men in the back row."
the member with the lowest range of a family of musical instruments
"The bass player stood at the back of the stage, providing the deep foundation for the entire band's sound."
nontechnical name for any of numerous edible marine and freshwater spiny-finned fishes
"The angler caught a large bass in the lake during our weekend fishing trip."
A low spectrum of sound tones.
"The villagers gathered fresh bass from the lime trees to weave durable summer mats for their verandas."
The perch; any of various marine and freshwater fish resembling the perch, all within the order of Perciformes.
The fibrous inner bark of the linden or lime tree, used for making mats.
In plain English: Bass is the deep, low-pitched sound made by the lowest notes in music or by certain fish.
"The bass in the fish tank ate all the food pellets."
Usage: As a noun, bass most commonly refers to a type of fish or low-pitched musical sound rather than tree bark. Use it correctly when naming aquatic game fish like bass or describing deep tones in music, not for crafting mats from linden trees.
To sound in a deep tone.
"The baritone singer's bass notes resonated deeply through the wooden floorboards of the concert hall."
In plain English: To bass something means to play it with a deep, low sound.
"The singer will bass the song with a deep, resonant voice."
Usage: To bass something means to play it in a low register or at a very slow tempo. Use this verb specifically when referring to musical performance rather than general speaking or writing.
Of sound, a voice or an instrument, low in pitch or frequency.
"The singer's deep bass notes resonated through the entire concert hall."
In plain English: Bass describes something that is deep, heavy, and low-pitched, like the sound of a big drum or a growling engine.
"The bass guitar provided a solid foundation for the band's music."
Usage: Use bass to describe sounds that are deep and low-pitched, such as a bass guitar or a heavy drum beat. Do not use it to refer to high notes or instruments like flutes and violins.
A surname.
"The famous musician who performed at the jazz festival last night is actually a Bass, not related to any fish he might have caught earlier in life."
The word bass originally meant "base," but its spelling was influenced by the Italian term basso, which means "low." This shift occurred because musicians associated the deep sound of the instrument with the concept of low pitch.