basso noun & adjective. ['basǝʊ] Pl. bassos, bassi ['basi]. E18.
[Italian = low from Latin bassus: see BASE adjective (Earlier in English in BASSO-RELIEVO.)]
Music. = BASS noun² (esp. sense 3), adjective.
Comb. & special collocations: basso buffo ['bʊfǝʊ], pl. bassi buffi [-fi], basso buffos, [BUFFO] a bass singer who takes comic parts in opera; basso cantante [kan'tanteɪ], pl. bassi cantanti [-ti], [lit. 'singing'] (a singer with) a voice in the upper register of the bass range; basso continuo [kǝn'tɪnjʊǝʊ], pl. basso continuos, [CONTINUO] a figured bass, a thorough bass; basso ostinato [ɒstɪ'nɑ:tǝʊ], pl. basso ostinatos, [OSTINATO] = ground bass s.v. GROUND noun; basso profundo [prǝ'fʌndǝʊ] (occas. basso profondo [-'fɒnd-]), pl. bassi profundi [-di], basso profundos, [lit. 'deep'] (a singer with) a very deep and rich voice.

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