Theorbo

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large lute-like string instrument with an extended neck, characterized by its resonant bass strings and often used in Baroque music
2. An early stringed instrument resembling a lute, notable for its long neck and diverse range, popular in 17th-century European ensembles
3. A plucked string instrument of the lute family, known for its distinctive shape and additional bass strings, frequently employed in early classical compositions

Etymology: The theorbo is a bass lute with a second, extra-long neck carrying unfretted bass strings, and its name came into English from Italian "tiorba." That Italian word is itself a borrowing from the Ottoman Turkish "torba," a word for a kind of lute or stringed instrument, so the name travelled from the Ottoman world into Italy before reaching English. The Italian "tiorba" was the name the instrument went by in the Italian musical circles where it flourished, and English adopted the word in that form. The spelling "theorbo" reflects the same origin, with the initial "th" added in English, a common pattern in borrowed words.

Synonyms: musical instrument, string instrument