# bach

/ˈbɑk/ (US) · /bˈɑːx/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bach
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the composer

noun · CEFR A2

Johann Sebastian Bach, a very famous German composer from the 1700s known for his organ and church music.

For teachers: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), a German composer and musician of the Baroque period.

- The orchestra played a beautiful piece by Bach during the concert.
- Scholars often cite Bach as the ultimate master of counterpoint, noting how his fugues achieve a perfect balance of mathematical precision and emotional depth.

### 2. a holiday home

noun · CEFR B2 · Dialect

a small, simple holiday house, usually near the beach.

For teachers: A small, often basic holiday home or beach cottage. Common in New Zealand English.

- We spent the whole summer at the family bach by the ocean.
- While many modern holiday homes have become luxurious, the traditional bach remains a modest structure intended for simple living near the coast.

Usage: Pronounced like 'batch'.

Teaching tip: This is a quintessential New Zealand term; in the South Island, the equivalent word is often 'crib'.

### 3. to live alone

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Archaic · Dialect

to live alone and do all your own cooking and cleaning, especially for a short time.

For teachers: To live as a bachelor; specifically to manage a household alone without a partner or domestic help.

- My roommate is away this month, so I've been baching it.
- He spent the winter baching it in a remote cabin, focusing entirely on his writing while managing the daily chores of survival alone.

Usage: Often used in the progressive form 'baching it'.

## Examples

- The bass player keeps a steady bach.
- The drummer locked into the bach, creating a driving rhythm for the soloist.
- The composition relies on a simple, hypnotic bach that allows the improvising musicians to explore complex harmonic variations without losing the song's core identity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.