baritone
pronunciation
How to pronounce baritone in British English:
UK [ˈbærɪtəʊn]
How to pronounce baritone in American English:
US [ˈbærɪtoʊn]
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- Noun:
- a male singer
- the second lowest adult male singing voice
- the second lowest brass wind instrument
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- Adjective:
- lower in range than tenor and higher than bass
Word Origin
- baritone
- baritone: see gravity
- baritone (adj.)
- c. 1600, from Italian baritono, from Greek barytonos "deep-toned, deep-sounding," from barys "heavy, deep," also, of sound, "strong, deep, bass," from PIE root *gwere- (2) "heavy" (see grave (adj.)) + tonos "tone" (see tenet). Technically, "ranging from lower A in bass clef to lower F in treble clef." Noun meaning "singer having a baritone voice" is from 1821. As a type of brass band instrument, it is attested from 1949.
Example
- 1. The pastor 's baritone echoed through the gymnasium .
- 2. Previous studies have suggested that voters might go for the baritone over the tenor .
- 3. This impression is magnified by his rigid demeanor and his baritone voice which he deploys slowly at low volume .
- 4. The 57 year-old looks like an eastern european intellectual on a day off tall and broad and dressed in black , speaking accented english in a lyrical baritone .
- 5. Behind the basso profundo may be lurking a figaro-like baritone , as much in tune with the comedy of life as its tragedy .