bourdon

Meanings

1. The burden or bass of a melody.
2. The drone pipe of a bagpipe.
3. The lowest-pitched stop of an organ.
4. The lowest-pitched bell of a carillon.
5. A large, low-pitched bell not part of a diatonically tuned ring of bells.
6. A bumblebee, genus Bombus.

1. Unadapted borrowing from French bourdon; a pilgrim's staff.

1. A flute stop on an organ of 8', 16' or 32', generally characterized by a low, dark tone.

1. A surname from French.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English burdoun (“accompaniment”), from Old French bordon, from Medieval Latin burdō, burdōnem (“drone”). The modern pronunciation and form (for *burdon) is influenced by modern French bourdon.