marimba

[ muh-rim-buh ]

/ məˈrɪm bə /

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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.

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Origin of marimba

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

Words nearby marimba

marigraph, marijuana, Marikina, Marília, Marilyn, marimba, Marin, marina, marinade, marinara, marinate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use marimba in a sentence

You can see the proof in the dozens of TikTok videos showing kids who hear the marimba tones of its theme song and come running.
Inside the Making of CoComelon, the Children's Entertainment Juggernaut|Alana Semuels|March 16, 2022|Time
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|DAILY BEAST
In the afternoon we heard marimba-playing; the instrument was called la golondrina and cost the owner forty-three pesos.
In Indian Mexico (1908)|Frederick Starr
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

The Smithsonian Institution contains a good specimen of the Marimba.
The Gegence; A Comedy Ballet in the Nahuatl-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua|Daniel G. Brinton
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

British Dictionary definitions for marimba

marimba

/ (məˈrɪmbə) /

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

marimba

Origin of marimba

Words nearby marimba

Words related to marimba

How to use marimba in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marimba

Word Origin for marimba