basset horn

n.
A tenor clarinet, pitched in F, having a wider bell and greater range than a standard clarinet.

[Partial translation of German Bassetthorn : Bassett, type of low-pitched string instrument (ultimately from Italian basso, low; see basso) + Horn, horn (from the resemblance of early crescent-shaped models to hunting horns).]

Woodwind instrument, a member of the clarinet family, normally pitched in F but occasionally in G. Its compass extended downwards to written c (sounding F), a major 3rd below the lowest note of the conventional clarinet. Mozart used the basset-horn, particularly in masonic pieces. Some early basset-horns are sickle-shaped, others are sharply angled. The tone is apt to be rather thin and watery.

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The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a tenor clarinet; pitched in the key of F below the B-flat clarinet

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