sistrum

[ sis-truhm ]

noun,plural sis·trums, sis·tra

[sis-truh]. /ˈsɪs trə/.

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

Origin of sistrum

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

Words Nearby sistrum

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

How to use sistrum in a sentence

We see here very distinctly the design of the egg- and sistrum- shaped bodies.
Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism | Thomas Inman
Her blue eyes, filled with tears, were fixed on the sistrum which her weak, emaciated hands had hardly strength to hold.
An Egyptian Princess, Complete | Georg Ebers
Tachot seemed to notice this, for she raised her eyes from the sistrum and looked kindly and gratefully at the crowd.
An Egyptian Princess, Complete | Georg Ebers
sistrum, sis′trum, n. a form of rattle used in ancient Egypt in connection with the worship of Isis.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) | Various
Whole nights were spent sitting in the temple amid the rattling of the sistrum.
The Conflict of Religions in the Early Roman Empire | T. R. Glover

British Dictionary definitions for sistrum

sistrum

/ (ˈsɪstrəm) /

nounplural -tra (-trə)

a musical instrument of ancient Egypt consisting of a metal rattle

Origin of sistrum

C14: via Latin from Greek seistron, from seiein to shake

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

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