sistrum

American  

[sis-truhm] / ˈsɪs trəm /

noun

plural

sistrums, sistra

1. an ancient Egyptian percussion instrument consisting of a looped metal frame set in a handle and fitted with loose crossbars that rattle when shaken.

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sistrum British  

/ ˈsɪstrəm /

noun

1. a musical instrument of ancient Egypt consisting of a metal rattle

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Etymology

Origin of sistrum

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek seîstron, derivative of seíein to shake ( cf. seismic)

Example Sentences

Roman trumpet with the rattle of the sistrum, chased the Liburnian prow with a poled barge, spread her foul mosquito nets over the Tarpeian Rock, and gave judgements among Marius’ weapons and statues.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

They were accompanied by a musical instrument known as a sistrum and a collection of bronze vessels used in rituals for the worship of the goddess Isis.

From Reuters • May 30, 2022

You can’t hear the rattling of the ancient Egyptian sistrum at the Yale University Art Gallery’s exhibition “Sights and Sounds of Ancient Ritual,” but you can glimpse aspects of its religious power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2018

Such words as "blastoderm", "sindoc," "peris," "parasang," "sarcenet," "teazel," "nullah," "cantatrice," "barracan," "sistrum," writhed and hissed in her verses.

From Time Magazine Archive

One of these shows a ritual procession, apparently of reapers singing and dancing to the sound of a sistrum.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6 "Coucy-le-Château" to "Crocodile" by Various