marimba

American  

[muh-rim-buh] / məˈrɪm bə /

noun

1. 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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marimba British  

/ məˈrɪmbə /

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of marimba

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

Example Sentences

When experimenting more with the marimba, an instrument their late father taught them, they unintentionally created this fusion of rock-style cumbia.

From Los Angeles Times

He holds small mallets in his “hands” to play a kind of xylophone called a marimba.

From NewsForKids.net

A marimba repairman came to rescue an aging instrument in Guatemala’s Los Angeles consulate.

From Los Angeles Times

Jacob was nearly vibrating with excitement as the strings rippled and marimba clattered.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a countryish song with south-of-the border touches like marimba and flutes, a style jovially summed up as “Gulf and Western.”

From New York Times