marimba

[ muh-rim-buh ]
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noun
  1. a musical instrument, originating in Africa but popularized and modified in Central America, consisting of a set of graduated wooden bars, often with resonators beneath to reinforce the sound, struck with mallets.

Origin of marimba

1
1695–1705; <Portuguese <Kimbundu or a related Bantu language; akin to kalimba

Words Nearby marimba

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use marimba in a sentence

  • One of their chief instruments is the 'marimba' or 'Tyanbilo,' a form of harmonium.

  • This form of marimba is also met with amongst the natives of Costa Rica.

British Dictionary definitions for marimba

marimba

/ (məˈrɪmbə) /


noun
  1. a Latin American percussion instrument consisting of a set of hardwood plates placed over tuned metal resonators, played with two soft-headed sticks in each hand

Origin of marimba

1
C18: of West African origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012