oompah

American  

[oom-pah, oom-] / ˈum pɑ, ˈʊm- /

Also oompah-pah

noun

1. a repetitious bass accompaniment in music typically provided by brasses.

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adjective

1. marked by an oompah.

   oompah band.

oompah British  

/ ˈuːmˌpɑː /

noun

1. a representation of the sound made by a deep brass instrument, esp in military band music

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Etymology

Origin of oompah

First recorded in 1875–80; imitative

Example Sentences

Facing intense criticism was not new for Scotland head coach Steve Clarke when his dejected players left Germany to the sound of a Bavarian oompah band after a deflating Euros campaign in the summer.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2024

Revellers sit at long communal tables to swig beer, eat sausages, pretzel or pork knuckle, and listen to oompah bands.

From Reuters • Apr. 29, 2022

Can he coax an orchestra to support a singer in a deceptively simple aria with a bare oompah accompaniment?

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2021

FRI-SUN Authentic München-style Oktoberfest Biergarten with imported German beers and local craft favorites, food, live oompah music and DJs, keg rolling, stein hoisting, wiener-dog racing, 4-11 p.m.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2019

On top of this accompanying oompah the rag pianists wove a catchy tune that pulled the rhythm around, a technique called syncopation.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall