tambourine
Americannoun
-
tambourines
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of tambourine
1570–80; earlier tamboryne < Middle Dutch tamborijn small drum < Middle French tambourin or Medieval Latin tamborīnum. See tambour, -ine 1
Explanation
The tambourine is a portable percussion instrument that you shake or strike against your leg or palm. If you want to be in a band with your friends but you don't know how to play an instrument, you could try playing the tambourine. Tambourines are round and look like shallow drums (sometimes with an actual drumhead) with several pairs of metal disks that jingle against each other when you shake or tap the tambourine. The earliest meaning of tambourine was "small drum," from the diminutive of the French tambour, "drum."
Vocabulary lists containing tambourine
Musical Instruments - Introductory
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Musical Instruments - Middle School
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Musical Instruments - High 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.
See Examples For:
Scialfa, who provides backing vocals and plays tambourine and guitar, married Springsteen in 1991.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Geri Halliwell's union jack flag platform boots are also among items featuring in the free exhibition at the Barbican Music Library, along with Liam Gallagher's tambourine and a Brit Award.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
Kostelnik took his place with the band, and got paid for playing the tambourine for the hourlong set.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
While Kat says he can’t buy a guitar every time he messes up, he jokes and tells her he can buy her drums, a tambourine and other band instruments.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2024
One almost hits me, and when Father sees this he says, “Benvenida, don’t cry. Bring out your tambourine, and we’ll sing.”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Moroccans took to the streets to celebrate and local media have shown videos of happy fans driving through Tangier waving the national flag, banging tambourines and honking their horns.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
Sporadic chants punctuated a steady stream of tambourines, car horns, applause and cheering.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2025
Available are 90 guitars, 62 keyboards, 24 bass guitars, 15 maracas, five ukeleles, two tambourines and a couple of cowbells.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2023
Six school employees converge in the elementary school music room, where tambourines and xylophones hang from the wall.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 5, 2023
They came up from the water, visibly under the power of the Lord, and on the shore the saints awaited them, beating their tambourines.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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.
