Basso Continuo | Musical term, a.k.a “continuous bass”, “continuo” | A type of musical accompaniment used in the baroque era (1600-1750), where composers would write melodies and accompany the them by using a bass instrument such as a cello or viola da gamba. They would often incorporate a keyboard instrument such as a harpsichord. The development of basso continuo is an important foundation of Western music, and its influence leads all the way up to the modern-day rock band. See here for an example.
Usage | “Baroque music would not be as interesting, if it were not for its use of basso continuo to provide a harmonic foundation for the music to ride upon”