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

The theme tune - At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal - was rearranged by Barbara Moore in 1970 and is still in use today.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2024

Cymbal received permission to move the tree after agreeing to pay the city $1 million if it dies within five years of being moved.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2023

We were opening Cymbal up that morning and started to scroll through my feed.

From The Verge • Apr. 17, 2018

Cymbal sounds have been going vintage for the last several years.

From New York Times • Oct. 1, 2016

Cymbal Crash The lights go out The drop is lifted in the darkness Cymbal Crash The lights are turned on  

From Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays by Various