All Words Glossary

Glossary of Music Terms
beginning with letter B
Browse the Music Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

baby grand Tweet Definition of baby grand Like Definition of baby grand on Facebook
noun
  1. a small grand piano
backing Tweet Definition of backing Like Definition of backing on Facebook
noun
  1. Support, especially financial.
It's a volunteer organization that works with from the city and a few grants.
  1. A liner or other material added behind or underneath.
The cardboard gives the notebook a little extra stiffness.
  1. (music) Support for the main performer
verb
  1. (present participle of, back)
adjective
  1. (music) That which provides support for the main performer
bagpipe Tweet Definition of bagpipe Like Definition of bagpipe on Facebook
noun
  1. singular of bagpipes (normally used in plural)
balalaika Tweet Definition of balalaika Like Definition of balalaika on Facebook
noun
  1. A Russian musical instrument, similar to a guitar, with a triangular body.
ballad Tweet Definition of ballad Like Definition of ballad on Facebook
noun
  1. A long song or poem that tells a story.
The poet composed a praising the heroic exploits of the fallen commander.
  1. A slow romantic pop music, pop song.
On Friday nights, the roller rink had a time-block called "Lovers' Lap" when they played nothing but ballads on the overhead speakers.
balladeer Tweet Definition of balladeer Like Definition of balladeer on Facebook
noun
  1. A singer (generally professional), particularly one who sings ballads.
ballerina Tweet Definition of ballerina Like Definition of ballerina on Facebook
noun
  1. A female ballet dancer.
ballet Tweet Definition of ballet Like Definition of ballet on Facebook
noun
  1. a classical form of dance.
  2. a theatrical presentation of such dancing, usually with music, sometimes in the form of a story.
balletomane Tweet Definition of balletomane Like Definition of balletomane on Facebook
noun
  1. An enthusiastic ballet fan.
bandstand Tweet Definition of bandstand Like Definition of bandstand on Facebook
noun
  1. a small platform or enclosure for bands to play on, usually roofed
bandwagon Tweet Definition of bandwagon Like Definition of bandwagon on Facebook
noun
  1. A large wagon used to carry a band of musicians in a parade.
banjo Tweet Definition of banjo Like Definition of banjo on Facebook
noun (pl=banjos or banjoes)
  1. (musici) A stringed musical instrument with a round body and fretted neck, played by plucking or strumming the strings.
I come from Alabama with my on my knee ...
bank Tweet Definition of bank Like Definition of bank on Facebook
noun
  1. An institution where one can place and borrow money and take care of financial affairs.
  2. A branch office of such an institution
  3. A safe and guaranteed place of storage for and retrieval of important items or goods.
blood bank
sperm bank
data bank
  1. A row or panel of items stored or grouped together.
a of switches
  1. An edge of river or other watercourse.
  2. (nautical) An elevation, or rising ground, under the sea; a shallow area of shifting sand, gravel, mud, and so forth (for example, a sandbank or mudbank).
  3. An embankment.
  4. (context, aviation) The incline of an aircraft, especially during a turn.
  5. A row of keys on a musical keyboard or the equivalent on a typewriter keyboard.
verb
  1. (context, intransitive, aircraft) To roll or incline laterally in order to turn.
  2. (context, intransitive) To deal with a bank or financial institution.
He banked with Barclays.
  1. (context, transitive) To put into a .
I'm going to the money.
  1. (context, transitive) To cause (an aircraft) to .
  2. (context, transitive) To form into a or heap, to bank up.
  3. (context, transitive) To cover the embers of a fire with ashes in order to retain heat.
bar Tweet Definition of bar Like Definition of bar on Facebook
noun
  1. A solid, more or less rigid object with a uniform cross-section smaller than its length.
  2. (metallurgy) a solid metal object with uniform (round, square, hexagonal, octagonal or rectangular) cross-section, whose smallest dimension is .25 inch or greater (US), a piece of thinner material being called a strip.
Ancient Sparta used iron s instead of handy coins in more valuable alloi, to physically disencourage the use of money
  1. A cuboid piece of any solid commodity.
bar of chocolate
bar of soap
  1. A long, narrow drawn or printed rectangle, cuboid or cylinder, especially as used in a bar code or a bar chart.
  2. A business licensed to sell intoxicating beverages for consumption on the premises, or the premises themselves; public house.
  3. The counter of such a premises
  4. A similar device or simply a closet containing alcoholic beverages in a private house or a hotel room.
  5. An official order or pronouncement that prohibits some activity.
  6. (computing, whimsical, derived from fubar) Used to stand for some unspecified entity, usually a second entity following foo.
Suppose we have two objects, foo and bar
  1. (legal: the Bar) Short for the Bar Exam, the legal licensing exam.
He's studying hard to pass the Bar this time; he's failed it twice before.
  1. (British: the Bar) A collective term for barristers.
  2. (British: the Bar) (loosely) The profession of barristers.
  3. (music) A vertical line across a musical staff dividing written music into sections, typically of equal durational value.
  4. (music) One of these musical sections.
  5. (soccer) The crossbar
  6. An addition to a military medal, on account of a subsequent act
  7. A linear shoaling landform feature within a body of water.
  8. (nautical) A ridge or succession of ridges of sand or other substance, especially a formation extending across the mouth of a river or harbor or off a beach, and which may obstruct navigation. (FM 55-501).
  9. (heraldry) One of the ordinary, ordinaries in heraldry.
See wikipedia article on the topic: (w, Ordinary (heraldry))
verb (bars, barring, barred, barred)
  1. (transitive) To obstruct the passage of (someone or something).
  2. (transitive) To prohibit.
I couldn't get into the nightclub because I had been barred
  1. (transitive) To lock or bolt with a bar.
bar the door
barbershop Tweet Definition of barbershop Like Definition of barbershop on Facebook
noun
  1. The place of business of a barber; a store where a person (usually a man) can go to get a haircut.
    1. A style of a capella vocal music, sung in four-part harmony, typically by a quartet of men.
barcarole Tweet Definition of barcarole Like Definition of barcarole on Facebook
noun
  1. (music) A Venetian folk song traditionally sung by gondoliers
  2. (music) A composition in this style
baritone Tweet Definition of baritone Like Definition of baritone on Facebook
noun
  1. The male voice between tenor and bass
  2. A person, instrument, or group that performs the baritone part.
  3. Specifically, an instrument similar to the euphonium.
baroque Tweet Definition of baroque Like Definition of baroque on Facebook
nounBaroque
  1. A period in western architecture from ca. 1600 to the middle of the eighteenth century, known for its abundance of decoration.
  2. A period in western art from ca. 1600 to the middle of the eighteenth century, characterized by drama, rich color, and dramatic contrast between light and shadow.
  3. A period in western music from ca. 1600 to ca. 1760, characterized by extensive use of counterpoint, basso-continuo, and extensive ornamentation.
  4. The chess variant invented in 1962 by Mathematician Robert Abbott, or any of its descendants, where pieces move alike, but have differing methods of capture.
adjectiveBaroque
  1. ornate, intricate, decorated, laden with detail.
  2. from the Baroque period in visual art and music.
  3. complex and beautiful, yet for an outward irregularity.
  4. chiseled from stone, or shaped from wood, in a garish, crooked, twisted, or slanted sort of way, grotesque.
  5. embellished with figures and forms such that every level of relief gives way to more details and contrasts.
baroque organ Tweet Definition of baroque organ Like Definition of baroque organ on Facebook
noun
  1. (musici) a pipe organ dating from or built to the specifications of the Baroque period at the time of J.S. Bach
barre Tweet Definition of barre Like Definition of barre on Facebook
noun
  1. (ballet) A handrail fixed to a wall used for ballet exercises.
barytone Tweet Definition of barytone Like Definition of barytone on Facebook
adjective
  1. (linguistics) Not having the acute accent on the final syllable of a word, especially with reference to Greek grammar
bass drum Tweet Definition of bass drum Like Definition of bass drum on Facebook
noun
  1. a large drum with a low pitch
basset horn Tweet Definition of basset horn Like Definition of basset horn on Facebook
noun
  1. an alto horn with a soft tone
bassist Tweet Definition of bassist Like Definition of bassist on Facebook
noun
  1. A musician who plays a bass instrument.
basso cantante Tweet Definition of basso cantante Like Definition of basso cantante on Facebook
noun
  1. a voice with an upper range that is more developed than that of the basso profundo
bassoon Tweet Definition of bassoon Like Definition of bassoon on Facebook
noun
  1. A musical instrument in the woodwind family, having a double reed and, playing in a tenor range.
batterie Tweet Definition of batterie Like Definition of batterie on Facebook
noun
  1. (dance) A movement wherein the feet are knocked together while in the air.
  2. (music) The percussion section of an orchestra or band, the battery; marching instruments in a drumline, as opposed to the pit.
battery Tweet Definition of battery Like Definition of battery on Facebook
noun (batter, ies)
  1. A device that produces electricity by a chemical reaction between two substances.
  2. The crime or tort of intentionally striking another person.
  3. A coordinated group of artillery.
  4. An array of similar things.
Schoolchildren take a battery of standard tests to measure their progress.
  1. A set of small cages where hens are kept for the purpose of farm, farming their eggs.
  2. (baseball) The catcher and the pitcher together
  3. (chess) Two or more pieces on the same rank, file, or diagonal
beat Tweet Definition of beat Like Definition of beat on Facebook
noun
  1. A pulsation or throb.
  2. A pulse on the beat level, the metric level at which pulses are heard as the basic unit. Thus a beat is the basic time unit of a piece.
  3. A rhythm.
  4. A pause with the camera focused on one shot, often a characters face (often used in screenplays/teleplays).
  5. The route of a patrol by a guard or officer as in walk the beat.
  6. In newspapering, the primary focus of a reporter's stories (such as police/courts, education, city government, business, etc.).
  7. A small part of a dramatic play.
verb (beats, beating, beat, beaten)
  1. To hit; to knock; to pound; to strike.
As soon as she heard the news, she went into a rage and the wall with her fists until her knuckles bled.
  1. To strike or pound repeatedly, usually in some sort of rhythm.
He danced hypnotically while she the atabaque.
  1. To win against; to defeat; to do better than, outdo, or excel someone in a particular, competitive event.
Jessica had little trouble beating John in tennis. He lost five games in a row.
No matter how quickly Joe finished his test, Roger always him.
  1. (context, intransitive, nautical) To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.
  2. To mix food in a rapid fashion. cf. whip.
Beat the eggs and whip the cream.
adjective
  1. (gay slang) fabulous
Her makeup was beat!
  1. exhausted
After the long day, she was feeling completely .
bebop Tweet Definition of bebop Like Definition of bebop on Facebook
noun
  1. An early form of modern jazz played by small groups and featuring driving rhythms and complex, often dissonant harmonies.
Bell Tweet Definition of Bell Like Definition of Bell on Facebook
proper noun
  1. A Scottish and northern English surname for a bell ringer, bell maker, or from someone who lived "at the Bell (inn)"
  2. The Bell telephone company (after w:Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone.)
belly Tweet Definition of belly Like Definition of belly on Facebook
noun (bell, ies)
  1. (colloquial) The abdomen.
verb (bellies, bellying, bellied)
  1. To position one's belly.
Benedictus Tweet Definition of Benedictus Like Definition of Benedictus on Facebook
noun
  1. (music) Either of two canticles that begin with the Latin word benedictus
    Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel
    Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini
  2. (music) The music that accompanies these canticles
berceuse Tweet Definition of berceuse Like Definition of berceuse on Facebook
noun
  1. a lullaby
  • 1980: What was in my mind as I waited for sleep and the engines thundered their ineffectual was the chapter, a brief one, about the Jews. (Burgess, Earthly Powers)
bind Tweet Definition of bind Like Definition of bind on Facebook
noun
  1. A troublesome situation; a problem; a predicament or quandary.
verb (binds, binding, bound or rarely bounden)
  1. To connect
  2. To couple
  3. To put together in a cover, as of books
  4. (computing) to associate an identifier with a value; to associate a variable name with the content of a storage location
blow Tweet Definition of blow Like Definition of blow on Facebook
noun
  1. The act of striking or hitting.
A fabricator is used to direct a sharp to the surface of the stone.
During an exchange to end round 13, Duran landed a to the mid-section.
  1. An unfortunate occurrence.
A further to the group came in 1917 when Thomson died while canoeing in Algonquin Park.
  1. (slang) (uncountable) cocaine
  2. A strong wind.
We're having a bit of a this afternoon.
  1. (colloquial) A chance to catch one"s breath.
The players were able to get a bit of a during the last timeout.
verb (blows, blowing, blew or (dialect) blowed, blown or (dialect) blowed)
  1. (intransitive) To produce an air current
    • Quotations
      Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! ! -- King Lear
      1. (intransitive) To be propelled by an air current.
      The leaves through the streets in the fall.
      1. (intransitive) To explode
      Get away from that burning gas tank! It's about to !
      1. (intransitive) (slang) To be very undesirable (see also suck)
      This blows!
      1. (intransitive) (of a cetacean) To exhale visibly through the spout the seawater it has taken in while feeding.
      There's nothing more thrilling to the whale watcher than to see a whale surface and .
      There she blows! (That is, "I see a whale spouting!")
      1. (transitive) To propel by an air current.
      Blow the dust off that book and open it up.
      1. (transitive) To squander.
      I managed to $1000 at blackjack in under an hour.
      1. (transitive) (vulgar) To fellate.
      Who did you have to to get those backstage passes?
      1. (transitive) To create or shape by blowing; as, to blow bubbles, to blow glass
      2. (transitive) To play a musical instrument such as a horn or woodwind.
      "He was blowing saxophone for me." Ike Turner, interview by Terri Gross, "Fresh Air", NPR, 1996.
      1. (transitive) To leave
      Let's this joint.
blue note Tweet Definition of blue note Like Definition of blue note on Facebook
noun (plural: blue notes)
  1. (idiom) (music) Notes added to the major scale for expressive quality in jazz and blues music, particularly the flatted third, fifth and seventh.
bongo Tweet Definition of bongo Like Definition of bongo on Facebook
noun
  1. A striped bovine mammal found in Africa, Taurotragus euryceros.
boogie Tweet Definition of boogie Like Definition of boogie on Facebook
noun (rfc-level, Noun at L4+ not in L3 POS section)
(plural:boogies)
  1. (colloquial) A piece of solid or semi-solid mucus in or removed from the nostril cavity; booger.
  2. (colloquial) Dancing, usually exhibiting movements of the buttocks.
  3. A large, organised skydiving event.
boogie-woogie Tweet Definition of boogie-woogie Like Definition of boogie-woogie on Facebook
noun
  1. (music) a style of blues piano music
  2. a style of swing dance
book Tweet Definition of book Like Definition of book on Facebook
noun
  1. A collection of sheets of paper bound together to hinge at one edge, containing printed or written material, pictures, etc. If initially blank, commonly referred to as a notebook.
  2. A record of betting (from the use of a notebook to record what each person has bet).
I'm running a on who is going to win the race.
  1. A convenient collection, in a form resembling a book, of small paper items for individual use.
a of stamps
a of raffle tickets
  1. A major division of a published work, larger than a chapter, commonly an academic publication or the Bible.
  2. The script of a musical.
  3. (usually, in plural) Records of the accounts of a business.
  4. A long document stored (as data) that is or will become a book; an e-book.
  5. (context, law) A colloquial reference to a book award, a recognition for receiving the highest grade in a class (traditionally an actual book, but recently more likely a letter or certificate acknowledging the achievement).
  6. (context, poker slang) four of a kind
verb
  1. (transitive) To reserve (something) for future use
I want to a hotel room for tomorrow night
I can tickets for the concert next week
  1. (transitive) To penalise (someone) for an offence.
The police booked him for driving too fast
  1. (context, intransitive, slang) To travel very fast.
He was really booking, until he passed the speed trap.
  1. (transitive) To write down.
They booked that message from the hill
  1. (context, transitive, law) To receive the highest grade in a class.
The top three students had a bet on which one was going to their intellectual property class.
bossa nova Tweet Definition of bossa nova Like Definition of bossa nova on Facebook
noun
  1. A lively Brazilian dance that is similar to the samba; the music of that dance
bourdon Tweet Definition of bourdon Like Definition of bourdon on Facebook
noun
  1. (context, music, archaic) the burden or bass of a melody
  • 1985: The earth tremors resumed and made a to the loud psalms that they sang, interspersed with the odd ode of Horace recited by Silas. " Anthony Burgess, Kingdom of the Wicked
    1. the drone pipe of a bagpipe
    2. the lowest-pitched stop of an organ
    3. the lowest-pitched of a peal of bells
    4. a bumblebee
bourree Tweet Definition of bourree Like Definition of bourree on Facebook
nounbourèe
  1. A French baroque dance with quick rhythm.
bow Tweet Definition of bow Like Definition of bow on Facebook
nounverb
bower Tweet Definition of bower Like Definition of bower on Facebook
noun
  1. A large nest made of grass and bright objects, used by the bower bird during courtship displays.
  2. A shady, leafy shelter or recess in a garden or woods
  3. A woman's bedroom or private apartments, especially in a medieval castle
  4. (literary) A picturesque country cottage, especially one that is used as a retreat
bowing Tweet Definition of bowing Like Definition of bowing on Facebook
noun
  1. The act of bending at the waist, as a sign of respect or greeting.
    The courtier had practiced his .
  2. A bending.
    The heavy books caused a in the shelf.
verb
  1. (present participle of, bow) (bend)
bowstring Tweet Definition of bowstring Like Definition of bowstring on Facebook
noun
  1. the string of an archer's bow
brace Tweet Definition of brace Like Definition of brace on Facebook
noun
  1. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop.
  2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum.
  3. The state of being braced or tight; tension.
  4. A piece of material used to transmit, or change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the shell.
  5. A vertical curved line ('{' or '}') connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus, boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves.
  6. (nautical) A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon.
  7. A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.
  8. A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt.
  9. Harness; warlike preparation.
  10. Armor for the arm; vambrace.
  11. The mouth of a shaft.
  12. (usually plural) Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders.
  13. (usually plural) A system of wires, brackets, and elastic bands used to correct crooked teeth.
verbto brace
  1. To prepare for something bad, as an impact or blow. All hands, brace for impact!
  1. (nautical) To swing round the yards of a square rigged ship, using braces, to present a more efficient sail surface to the direction of the wind
    1. To stop someone for questioning, usually said of police
    2. To confront with questions, demands or requests
brass Tweet Definition of brass Like Definition of brass on Facebook
noun (es, -)
  1. An metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.
  2. (music) A class of wind instruments, usually made of metal (such as brass), that use vibrations of the player's lips to produce sound.
  3. Spent shell casings (usually made of brass); the part of the cartridge left over after bullets have been fired.
  4. The colour of brass.
<table><tr><td>brass colour: &nbsp;</td><td bgcolor="
  1. C9AE5D?" width="80">&nbsp; </td></tr></table>
    1. (military) (used as a singular or plural noun) High-ranking officers.
    The brass are not going to like this.
    The brass is not going to like this.
    1. (informal) A brave or foolhardy attitude.
    You've got a lot of brass telling me to do that!
    1. (slang; also brass in pocket) Money.
    2. (slang; from brass nail; countable) A prostitute.
adjective
  1. (not comparable) Made of brass.
  2. of the colour of brass.
  3. (slang) Bad, annoying.
bravura Tweet Definition of bravura Like Definition of bravura on Facebook
noun
  1. (music) a highly technical or difficult piece, usually written for effect
  2. a display of daring
adjective
  1. overly showy; ostentatious
break Tweet Definition of break Like Definition of break on Facebook
noun
  1. (countable) An instance of breaking something into two pieces.
The femur has a clean and so should heal easily.
  1. (countable) A physical space that open up, opens up in something or between two things.
The sun came out in a in the clouds.
  1. (countable) A rest or pause, usually from work.
Let"s take a five-minute .
  1. (countable) (tennis) (tennis) A game won by the receive, receiving player or players (in case of a double).
  2. (countable) (context, billiards) The first shot in a game of billiards
  3. (countable) (context, snooker) The number of points scored by one player in one visit to the table
  4. (countable) (surfing) Place where waves break (ie. pitch or spill forward creating white water).
2005: The final in the Greenmount area is Kirra Point. &mdash; coolangatta.net http://www.coolangatta.net/coolangatta/surfbreaks.html
verb (breaks, breaking, broke, broken)
  1. (intransitive) To end up in two or more pieces that can't easily be reassembled.
If the vase falls to the floor, it might .
  1. (intransitive) (medicine) Of a bone, to crack or fracture through a sudden physical strain, such as a collision.
Don't slip and your leg.
  1. (intransitive) To stop functioning properly or altogether.
Don't the fridge with your tools.
  1. (intransitive) To interrupt or cease one's work or occupation temporarily.
Let's for lunch.
  1. (intransitive) (tennis) To win a game as receiver.
  2. (intransitive) (context, sports, billiards, snooker, pool) To make the first shot.
Is it your or my turn to ?
  1. (transitive) To cause to end up in two or more pieces.
I am going to your mask.
  1. (transitive) (medicine) (ergative) Of a bone, to cause to crack under physical strain.
Don't try to his neck.
  1. (transitive) (medicine) (ergative) Of a bone, to fracture accidentally.
Don't your fingers playing basketball.
  1. (transitive) (ergative) To cause to malfunction or stop working altogether.
Did you two the trolley by racing with it?
  1. (transitive) To cause a person or animal to lose his/her/its will, usually obtained by means of torture.
You have to an elephant before you can use it as an animal of burden.
America has used many forms of torture to their POWs.
  1. (transitive) To do that which is forbidden by (a rule or rules).
When you go to Vancouver, promise me you won't the law.
  1. (transitive) (gaming slang) To design or use a powerful (yet legal) strategy that unbalances the game in a player's favor.
Letting white have three extra queens would chess.
  1. (transitive) (media) (ergative) to disclose or make known an item of news etc