timbre
Americannoun
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Acoustics, Phonetics. the characteristic quality of a sound, independent of pitch and loudness, from which its source or manner of production can be inferred. Timbre depends on the relative strengths of the components of different frequencies, which are determined by resonance.
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Music. the characteristic quality of sound produced by a particular instrument or voice; tone color.
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characteristic tone of expression.
the masterful rhythm and timbre of his writing.
noun
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phonetics the distinctive tone quality differentiating one vowel or sonant from another
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music tone colour or quality of sound, esp a specific type of tone colour
Etymology
Origin of timbre
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English tymbre, from Middle French “clapperless bell, bell rung by a hammer,” from Old French “small drum, drum,” from Latin tympanum “timbrel, drum,” from Greek týmpanon “timbrel, kettledrum, drum”
Explanation
Timbre is a word that describes the tone or unique quality of a sound. If you play the same note on a piano and on a guitar, each note will have its own timbre. Though an electric saw has its own timbre, as does the sound of a tree whooshing through the air, don't confuse timbre with "Timber!," the word you shout when chopping down trees. Timbre comes from the Greek word that means drum, and it is pronounced "TAM-burr," not "TIM-burr." Timber stems from an Old English word for building materials.
Vocabulary lists containing timbre
Music - Introductory
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This Week In Culture: April 12–18, 2020
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Music - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Recent work in artificial intelligence and music technology has focused on modeling timbre, generating realistic piano motion, and building systems that can reproduce subtle expressive nuances in performance.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
That provided direct evidence that touch itself plays a causal role in shaping timbre, rather than simply accompanying other musical effects like loudness or tempo.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
In her best quotable moments, she seamlessly infuses her sometimes shrill timbre with a dash of Southern drawl.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
To start with the familiar: The example I drove at the media event near San Diego last week felt impressively solid and soundly made, with door slams resonating with Honda’s trademark timbre.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
The words musicians use to describe timbre are somewhat subjective, but most musicians would agree with the statement that, compared with each other, the first sound is mellow, the second bright, and the third rich.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
