Basses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. One of the lowest vocal ranges, typically sung by men; a type of fish found in freshwater and saltwater, often valued for sport and food; a family of musical instruments producing low sounds, often used in orchestras and bands
2. Referring to the deep voice classification usually for male singers; species of fish that are sought after in recreational fishing and cuisine; low-pitched instruments such as the double bass or bassoon used in various musical settings
3. The term indicating low vocal tones commonly performed by males; aquatic creatures known for their edible qualities and fishing popularity; low-frequency instruments essential in creating harmony in music ensembles

Etymology: The plural "basses" is simply the plural of "bass", and it covers two quite different words that happen to be spelled alike. The singing sense comes from Italian "basso" ("low"), which reached English by way of the musical term, and English spelled it as the familiar word "base" was spelled, with the vowel reshaped by that Italian influence. Its distant ancestor is the Ancient Greek "bāsis", meaning a step or foundation, which passed into Latin as "basis" and then into Old French as "base". The fish is a different story. Its name descends from Old English "bærs", meaning perch, a fish named for its prickly, spiny scales. The word was later altered in Middle English to "bace" or "bas", and a corruption of "bast" also contributed to the form we use today. So the fish and the voice share a spelling by accident rather than by any common root.

Synonyms: low voices, bass instruments