Meanings
plural basso continuos
- uncountableusuallyentertainmentThe continuous realization of harmony throughout a musical piece, usually by a harpsichord and/or cello, typical of the Baroque period. Abbreviation: bc.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe continuous realization of harmony throughout a musical piece, usually by a harpsichord and/or cello, typical of the Baroque period. Abbreviation: bc.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna bass part written out in full and accompanied by numbers to indicate the chords to be played
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Italianbasso continuo
- Englishbasso continuo
Borrowed from Italian basso continuo (literally “continuous bass”).
More words from Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan baix continu
- baix continucontinuous realization of harmony
Finnish kenraalibasso
- kenraalibassocontinuous realization of harmony
French basse continue
- basse continuecontinuous realization of harmony
German Generalbass, Basso continuo
- Generalbasscontinuous realization of harmony
- Basso continuocontinuous realization of harmony
- Continuocontinuous realization of harmony
Italian basso continuo
- basso continuocontinuous realization of harmony
Polish basso continuo
- basso continuocontinuous realization of harmony
Portuguese baixo contínuo
- baixo contínuocontinuous realization of harmony
Spanish bajo continuo
- bajo continuocontinuous realization of harmony
Cite this entry
basso continuo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/basso%20continuo
“basso continuo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/basso%20continuo. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “basso continuo,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/basso%20continuo.
Source: basso continuo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.