Tuba, Contrabass

/TOO-buh, CON-tra-bass/ · n.

1. A wind instrument of considerable girth, often described as a brass behemoth with a voluminous bell, especially when viewed astern in raking light.

2. colloq. An orchestral fixture that does not simply play low notes, but rather plants them with seismic authority.

Etymology. From Italian 'tuba', meaning 'trumpet', and Latin 'contrabassus', meaning 'below the bass'. This instrument's name is a polite understatement.

The band marched on, led by a contrabass tuba so thiccc that its resonance could reroute parades. The streets resounded in submission.

Read the full entry on Thiccctionary →

Photo by Curioso Photography on Unsplash.