marimba

[muh-rim-buh]

See more synonyms for marimba on Thesaurus.com

noun

a musical instrument, originating in Africa but popularized and modified in Central America, consisting of a set of graduated wooden bars, often with resonators beneath to reinforce the sound, struck with mallets.

Origin of marimba

1695–1705; < Portuguese < Kimbundu or a related Bantu language; akin to kalimba

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for marimba

carillon, vibraphone, marimba

Examples from the Web for marimba

Contemporary Examples of marimba

You'll hear a marimba and dulcimer every so often in this crescendoing collection of stellar four-part harmonies.
10 Great Bands You’ve Never Heard
Winston Ross
May 26, 2013

Historical Examples of marimba

One of their chief instruments is the 'Marimba' or 'Tyanbilo,' a form of harmonium.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various
This form of Marimba is also met with amongst the natives of Costa Rica.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various
The Marimba is played with drum-sticks of rubber, and the tone is good and powerful.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various
The Portuguese have imitated the marimba, and use it in their dances in Angola.
Great African Travellers
W.H.G. Kingston
Others assert that the Indians have known the marimba time out of mind, and undoubtedly invented it.
The Gegence; A Comedy Ballet in the Nahuatl-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua
Daniel G. Brinton

British Dictionary definitions for marimba

marimba

noun

a Latin American percussion instrument consisting of a set of hardwood plates placed over tuned metal resonators, played with two soft-headed sticks in each hand

Word Origin for marimba

C18: of West African origin

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

Word Origin and History for marimba

1704, from an African language, probably Bantu (cf. Kimbundu and Swahili marimba, malimba, name of a xylophone-like instrument).