beatboxing

American  

[beet-bok-sing] / ˈbitˌbɒk sɪŋ /

noun

1. 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.

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beatboxing British  

/ ˈbiːtˌbɒksɪŋ /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• beatboxer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of beatboxing

1985–90, beatbox (verb) + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beatboxing

Carter made use of the club’s subwoofers with his flashlight, putting his humorously sharp beatboxing party starter skills on display to test the limits of the Kookaburra’s sound system.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2024

Shlomo, from Fleet, Hampshire, is now drawing on his experience with a show for families, most recently staged in Sussex and Kent, showing how beatboxing can help with children's mental health.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2022

A hip-hop staple known for his beatboxing prowess, turntable mastery and the 1989 classic “Just a Friend.”

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 2, 2021

Appearing in the 2002 movie “Men in Black II,” he played an alien who is disguised as a postal worker and communicates with Smith’s federal agent character via beatboxing.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 16, 2021

Some kids stood in a little circle out back, beatboxing and freestyling, inventing brand-new ways of putting one another down and sending up wild cheers when a dig found its mark.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older