Definition of "contrabass" [con•tra•bass]

• See double bass. (noun)
• Pitched an octave below the normal bass range. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Jun, writes from Holland (I think), saying: Recently, I've built my own electronic upright bass (aka contrabass)."
• "A Korean War veteran who emerged from the 1960s Chicago scene boosted by the activist collective Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, Mr. Braxton made important albums focused on saxophone improvisation and sonic experiments with every reed instrument available, from sopranino to the contrabass saxophone."
• "The low components of each group (bassoon, bass/contrabass clarinet, tuba, double bass, trombone) are almost always present; the ombrous colors and more diffuse orchestration reduce extremes of exuberance or violence."