steel band

American

noun

Music.

a band, native to Trinidad and common in the West Indies, using steel drums cut to various heights and tuned to specific pitches.

steel band British

noun

music a type of instrumental band, popular in the Caribbean Islands, consisting mainly of tuned percussion instruments made chiefly from the heads of oil drums, hammered or embossed to obtain different notes

"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

Etymology

Origin of steel band

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He joined the school as a steel band teacher in 1983, having previously studied there from the age of 11.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2023

In one scene, a steel band plays in the middle of All Saints Road.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2020

Down to $154 with code BOO20, this is a solid deal for the Fossil Q Explorist in stainless steel with steel band.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2018

Provost teaches at George Mason University, where he also directs the steel band orchestra, and has been living in the Washington area since 2009.

From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2017

Next thing I know, Earl’s arms encircle me like a steel band.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023