marimba

[ muh-rim-buh ]

/ məˈrɪm bə /

Save This Word!

See 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.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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. 2022

How to use marimba in a sentence

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