tambour

[ tam-boor, tam-boor ]

/ ˈtæm bʊər, tæmˈbʊər /

noun

Music. a drum.

a drum player.

Also called tabaret. a circular frame consisting of two hoops, one fitting within the other, in which cloth is stretched for embroidering.

embroidery done on such a frame.

Furniture. a flexible shutter used as a desk top or in place of a door, composed of a number of closely set wood strips attached to a piece of cloth, the whole sliding in grooves along the sides or at the top and bottom.

Architecture. drum¹ (def. 10).

Court Tennis. a sloping buttress opposite the penthouse, on the hazard side of the court.

verb (used with or without object)

to embroider on a tambour.

QUIZZES

BEAT THE DOLDRUMS WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

We know you’ll tackle this quiz totis viribus! See how many words from the week of Oct 12–18, 2020 you get right!

Question 1 of 7

What does “Indigenous” mean?

characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction.

carried on abroad, or with other countries.

relating to or being a people who are the original, earliest known inhabitants of a region, or are their descendants.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of tambour

1475–85; <Middle French: drum ≪ Arabic tanbūr lute <Medieval Greek pandoúra;cf. bandore

Words nearby tambour

tambac, tambala, Tambo, Tambocor, Tambora, tambour, tamboura, tambourin, tambourine, tambour sound, Tambov

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for tambour

The game was set to music, the measured beating of a tambour with the light chiming of silver bells.
Romance of Roman Villas|Elizabeth W. (Elizbeth Williams) Champney
According to Darmstetter the word ‘timbre’ is own brother to ‘tambour,’ both being derived from a low Latin form of tympanum.
Rustic Sounds|Francis Darwin
Chain and Tambour Stitch are in effect practically the same, and present the same rather granular surface.
Art in Needlework|Lewis F. Day
Add to that, an inclination for odd musical instruments—the kaithra, the tambour, the oboe—all nomad instruments.
Operation Haystack|Frank Patrick Herbert

The varieties of tambour work and open stitchery of various ornamental kinds were possible for all capacities.
The Development of Embroidery in America|Candace Wheeler

British Dictionary definitions for tambour

tambour

/ (ˈtæmbʊə) /

noun

real tennis the sloping buttress on one side of the receiver's end of the court

a small round embroidery frame, consisting of two concentric hoops over which the fabric is stretched while being worked

embroidered work done on such a frame

a sliding door on desks, cabinets, etc, made of thin strips of wood glued side by side onto a canvas backing

architect a wall that is circular in plan, esp one that supports a dome or one that is surrounded by a colonnade

a drum

verb

to embroider (fabric or a design) on a tambour

Word Origin for tambour

C15: from French, from tabour tabor

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

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

tambour

noun

verb (used with or without object)

QUIZZES

BEAT THE DOLDRUMS WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Origin of tambour

Words nearby tambour

Example sentences from the Web for tambour

British Dictionary definitions for tambour

noun

verb

Word Origin for tambour