cymbal

American  

[sim-buhl] / ˈsɪm bəl /

noun

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

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

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

His press rolls and cymbal crashes urge on Mr. Harrison’s expanding circles of improvisation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 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

By the time he played with Miles Davis in the late ’40s, Roach had shifted his style to a more propulsive rhythm that emphasized the ride cymbal.

From New York Times • Sep. 6, 2023

Blink-182 were powering through one pop-punk burner after another, a virtually sold-out Climate Pledge Arena crowd hanging on every cymbal crash and speedball harmony.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 26, 2023

Malcolm felt a shiver of fear that was almost audible, like the tip of a drumstick drawn across a cymbal.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman