figured bass

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/beɪs/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(bās)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
fig′ured bass′  (bās),USA pronunciation [Music.]
  1. Music and Dancea bass part in which the notes have numbers under them indicating the chords to be played.
  • 1795–1805

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
figured bass / beɪs/
  1. a shorthand method of indicating a thorough-bass part in which each bass note is accompanied by figures indicating the intervals to be played in the chord above it in the realization
'figured bass' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
continuo - figure - realization - realize - thorough bass - through bass

Forum discussions with the word(s) "figured bass" in the title:


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