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cymbal
[ sim-buhl ]
/ ˈsɪm bəl /
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noun
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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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”
OTHER WORDS FROM cymbal
cym·bal·er, cym·bal·eer, cym·bal·ist, nouncym·bal·like, adjectiveWords nearby cymbal
cymar, cyma recta, cyma reversa, cymation, cymatium, cymbal, cymbalo, cymbalom, Cymbeline, cymbidium, cymbiform
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use cymbal in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for cymbal
cymbal
/ (ˈsɪmbəl) /
noun
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
Derived forms of cymbal
cymbaler, cymbaleer or cymbalist, nouncymbal-like, adjectiveWord Origin for cymbal
Old English cymbala, from Medieval Latin, from Latin cymbalum, from Greek kumbalon, from kumbē something hollow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for cymbal
cymbal
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.