violone

[ vee-uh-loh-ney ]

noun

1. a double bass.
2. an organ pedal stop of 16-foot pitch, giving a tone resembling the violoncello.

violone

/ ˈvaɪəˌləʊn /

noun

1. the double-bass member of the viol family lying an octave below the viola da gamba. It corresponds to the double bass in the violin family

Word History and Origins

Origin of violone¹

1715–25; < Italian, equivalent to viol ( a ) bass viol + -one augmentative suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of violone¹

C18: from Italian, from viola ¹+ -one, augmentative suffix

Example Sentences

Two violas, with cello, are pitted against two viols, with violone.

From New York Times

There were fine contributions, too, from colleagues including Carla Moore on violin, Erin Headley, Josh Lee, and Elizabeth Reed on violas da gamba, Curtis Daily on violone, Jillon Stoppels Dupree on organ, and Stubbs himself on the lute’s long-necked cousin, the chitarrone.

From Seattle Times

Violone, vē-ō-lō′nā, n. the largest kind of bass viol, having strings tuned an octave lower than the violoncello.

From Project Gutenberg

The King was angry with Bourdon, and he sent his army, under the command of Tuba Mirabilis, who, helped by Posaune, Clarion, and Cymbal, captured Bourdon and his three brothers, Bass, Violone, and Ophicleide, and put them in prison in the Lake of Sighs.

From Project Gutenberg

No sooner were they asleep than Bourdon's three cousins, Bass, Violone, and Ophicleide, who were looking after the castle for him, and who had been hiding in a secret room in the walls, came out and bound them and cast them into an oubliette which was at the bottom of the castle, right under the lake.

From Project Gutenberg