baritone

or bar·y·tone

[ bar-i-tohn ]

noun

1. a male voice or voice part intermediate between tenor and bass.
2. a singer with such a voice.
3. a large, valved brass instrument shaped like a trumpet or coiled in oval form, used especially in military bands.

adjective

1. of or relating to a baritone; having the compass of a baritone.

baritone

/ ˈbærɪˌtəʊn /

noun

1. the second lowest adult male voice, having a range approximately from G an eleventh below middle C to F a fourth above it
2. a singer with such a voice
3. the second lowest instrument in the families of the saxophone, horn, oboe, etc

adjective

1. relating to or denoting a baritone

   a baritone part

2. denoting the second lowest instrument in a family

   the baritone horn

baritone

1. A range of the male singing voice higher than bass and lower than tenor .

Other Words From

• bari·tonal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of baritone¹

1600–10; < Italian baritono low voice < Greek barýtonos deep-sounding. See barytone

Word History and Origins

Origin of baritone¹

C17: from Italian baritono a deep voice, from Greek barutonos deep-sounding, from barus heavy, low + tonos tone

Example Sentences

Jenkins played baritone ukulele, harmonica, hummed and used bird calls in her work while pulling influences from Spanish, Chinese, Hebrew, Korean, Swahili and other languages.

From Los Angeles Times

Along the highway east of town, you will probably encounter Coyote, a 67-year-old junkyard proprietor with a booming baritone voice and a truck that says “UFO retrieval and repairs.”

From Los Angeles Times

Or, perhaps, several years from now, they'll instead be arguing over which baritone/barihunk had the best high A in an opera no one knows about yet.

From Salon

Ken Page, the beloved baritone who starred in Broadway’s “Cats” and “The Wiz” and who voiced Oogie Boogie in the film “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” died Monday.

From Los Angeles Times

There are indelible voices in entertainment, and there is James Earl Jones’ baritone, variously described as sonorous, commanding, and booming.

From Salon

Related Words

• dark
• extreme
• great
• hard
• profound
• rich
• strong
• vivid