A large, theorbo-like stringed instrument with a bass register, developed in Renaissance Europe.
From Italian arciliuto, from arci- (chief, great) + liuto (lute). The name indicates a 'great lute' or supreme version of the lute, reflecting the instrument's size and range.
The archilute had so many strings that composers wrote completely separate bass lines just for it—it's like the lute family's equivalent of upgrading from a laptop to a full orchestra.
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