theorbo

[ thee-awr-boh ]

noun

, plural the·or·bos.

1. an obsolete bass lute with two sets of strings attached to separate peg boxes, one above the other, on the neck.

theorbo

/ θɪˈɔːbəʊ /

noun

1. music an obsolete form of the lute, having two necks, one above the other, the second neck carrying a set of unstopped sympathetic bass strings

Derived Forms

• theˈorbist, noun

Other Words From

• the·orbist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of theorbo¹

1595–1605; < Italian teorba, variant of tiorba, special use of Venetian tiorba, variant of tuorba traveling bag ≪ Turkish torba bag; so called from the bag it was carried in

Word History and Origins

Origin of theorbo¹

C17: from Italian teorba, probably from Venetian, variant of tuorba travelling bag, ultimately from Turkish torba bag

Example Sentences

This will not be Monteverdi as we have heard him; there will be nary a period instrument in sight, neither a harpsichord nor a sackbut, a theorbo nor a cornett.

From New York Times

Otherwise, though, Muhly was left to translate the material into his own compositional language, which he had come to in dialogue with early music and even early instruments; among his published scores is a “Berceuse With Seven Variations” for solo theorbo.

From New York Times

A harpsichord, a theorbo and a viola da gamba sound alongside an upright piano and an electric organ.

From New York Times

Enjoy concert pieces by Vivaldi, Handel and Telemann and dance music from the court of King Louis XIV, featuring the baroque cello, viol, theorbo and harpsichord.

From Seattle Times

Anthony Roth Costanzo, the celebrated countertenor who will star in Philip Glass’s “Akhnaten” at the Metropolitan Opera in November but was in this instance playing the butler, began picking up the pieces and placing them on a silver tray — all while singing John Dowland’s mournful 1605 work “In Darkness Let Me Dwell” to live theorbo accompaniment.

From New York Times