double bass

noun

: the largest and lowest-pitched of the stringed instruments that is tuned in fourths
double bassist
ˌdə-bəl-ˈbā-sist How to pronounce double bass (audio)
noun

Illustration of double bass

Illustration of double bass

Examples of double bass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Space Afrika bring in slow-moving and often gorgeous layers of double bass, violin, harp, saxophone, and piano to exhume the revelry, grief, and chaos of their inner worlds. — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026 My own favorite album is Huntington Ashram Monastery—split equally between piano and harp, with the note-perfect complement of Ron Carter’s hypnotic double bass and Rashied Ali’s hypersensitive drums. — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Along with electric guitar, the instruments common to Chicago blues include drums, harmonica, piano, double bass, and electric bass. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026 In our house, our son has gone from playing clarinet to playing guitars and now a double bass. — New Atlas, 6 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for double bass

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of double bass was in 1728

Rhymes for double bass

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Browse Nearby Words

double-base powder
double bass
double bassist
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Cite this Entry

“Double bass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double%20bass. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

double bass

noun
: the largest instrument of the violin family

More from Merriam-Webster on double bass

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about double bass

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