beatboxing

American

[beet-bok-sing] / ˈbitˌbɒk sɪŋ /

noun

a musical style or technique, especially in hip-hop, in which the sounds and rhythms of percussion instruments or a drum machine are simulated by using the mouth and voice.

We heard some amazing beatboxing last night.

beatboxing British

/ ˈbiːtˌbɒksɪŋ /

noun

a form of hip-hop music in which the voice is used to simulate percussion instruments

"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

Other Word Forms

beatboxer

noun

Etymology

Origin of beatboxing

1985–90, beatbox (verb) + -ing ¹

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.

Beatboxing, which bears relationships to African click language and American scat singing, emerged about 30 years ago, the province of buskers.

From New York Times • Dec. 31, 2011

Beatboxing is my job, my love, and my passion.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2011

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023