viola da gamba

[vee-oh-luh duh gahm-buh, -gam-] /viˈoʊ lə də ˈgɑm bə, -ˈgæm-/
noun, plural viola da gambas.
1.
an old musical instrument of the viol family, held on or between the knees: superseded by the modern violoncello; bass viol.
2.
an organ stop of eight-foot pitch giving a stringlike tone.
Origin
1590-1600; < Italian: literally, viol for the leg
Examples from the web for viola da gamba
  • Dove sings in the university's opera workshop and plays the cello and viola da gamba.
  • There are more performances than you can shake a viola da gamba at.
British Dictionary definitions for viola da gamba

viola da gamba

/vɪˈəʊlə də ˈɡæmbə/
noun
1.
the second largest and lowest member of the viol family See viol
Word Origin
C18: from Italian, literally: viol for the leg