cymbal

American  

[sim-buhl] / ˈsɪm bəl /

noun

• cymbals
  plural

1. a concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck: played either in pairs, by being struck together, or singly, by being struck with a drumstick or the like.

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cymbal British  

/ ˈsɪmbəl /

noun

1. a percussion instrument of indefinite pitch consisting of a thin circular piece of brass, which vibrates when clashed together with another cymbal or struck with a stick

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cymbal Cultural  

1. A large, round metal plate used as a percussion instrument. Cymbals can be crashed together in pairs or struck singly with a drumstick, and they are used in dance bands, jazz bands, and orchestras.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cymbaleer
  noun
• cymbaler
  noun
• cymbalist
  noun
• cymbal-like
  adjective
• cymballike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cymbals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cymbal

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cymbal, cymbala, from Old French cymbale, cymble , and from Medieval Latin cymbalum, from Latin, from Greek kýmbalon, derivative of kýmbos, kýmbē “hollow vessel, cup”

Explanation

Crash! Clang! Those are the sounds made by a cymbal — a loud percussion instrument that is part of most drum kits. One of the most fun parts of being a drummer has to be hitting the cymbals, a crashing, clanging instrument that, as you may have guessed, is very loud. A cymbal is a concave, almost flat, circular piece of brass. Drummers hit the cymbal with a drumstick or bang two cymbals together. If you love peace and quiet, stay away from cymbals — and drummers!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cymbal cymbals

After punching out the raised bell and cutting it to size, what looks like the now recognisable cymbal must undergo the all-important hammering process.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

Its beat is a mix of drum machines, sequenced electronics and an acoustic kit, as tricky cymbal flourishes and field recordings of wordless voices echo somewhere in the background.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025

The soldier wears a fur pelisse and holds a cymbal, which meant he was very likely to have belonged to a cavalry regiment, Ms Lavelle said.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2025

Robinson walked to a blackened tree where he had nailed up a cymbal Elliott had given him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2025

The party went on, but the musical lilt of voices, the cymbal lightness of laughter, did not.

From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers

She covered the song in 1975, choosing to cut the third verse and dial up the drama with meaty piano chords, slugging drums and a flourish of cymbals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

"Even if you bought two from the same series, the same weight and structure, the two cymbals wouldn't perfectly match. Because it's handmade, it's basically an adventure," the 42-year-old told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

On Wednesday afternoon, it was a pleasant 77 degrees, with drums, flutes and cymbals being heard around the Manhattan Beach campus as band members practiced.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2025

The hilltop temples echoed with chants, while dance troupes performed with clanging cymbals and bagpipes.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2025

I could hear the drums and the cymbals and the gongs and brass horns.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston