viola da gamba: Meaning and Definition of

vi•o•la da gam•ba

Pronunciation: (vē-ō'lu du gäm'bu, -gam'-), [key]
— pl. 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 an old musical instrument of the viol family, held on or between the knees: superseded by the modern violoncello; bass viol.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.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.