bass Definition

bass¹
noun basses

1. The lowest male singing voice.
2. A singer with such a voice.
3. A musical part written for such a voice or for an instrument of the lowest range.
4. colloq
A bass instrument, especially a bass guitar or a double-bass.
Example: Introducing, on bass, Alan King
5a. Low frequency sound as output from an amplifier, etc;

Example: The bass is too heavy on this track
5b. A knob or dial that adjusts this sound.

Example: fiddled with the bass on the stereo

adj

1. Said of a musical instrument, voice or sound: low in pitch and range.

Thesaurus: deep, low, sonorous, resonant, sepulchral; Antonym: high-pitched.

Etymology: 15c as bas (see etymology of base²): the Italian form basso later influenced the spelling in musical contexts.

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bass²
noun bass, basses

1. A marine fish, found in European coastal waters, which has a greenish-grey body with silvery sides, spiny fins, and is an important commercial and sport fish.
2. Any of various freshwater and marine fishes, especially N American species, which have spiny fins similar to those of the common bass.

Etymology: 16c as bace: from Anglo-Saxon bærs perch.

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bass guitar
bass (especially colloq)
noun

1. A guitar, usually an electric one, similar in pitch and range to the double-bass, frequently used in popular music bands to provide the bass sound and rhythm (see bass¹).