timpani

American  

[tim-puh-nee] / ˈtɪm pə ni /

Or tympani

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. a set of kettledrums, especially as used in an orchestra or band.

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timpani British  

/ ˈtɪmpənɪ /

plural noun

1. Often (informal) shortened to: timps. (sometimes functioning as singular) a set of kettledrums, two or more in number

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timpani Cultural  

1. Italian for kettledrums; the term timpani is often preferred by composers and performers.

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Other Word Forms

• timpanist
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of timpani

< Italian, plural of timpano kettledrum < Latin tympanum < Greek týmpanon

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Explanation

Timpani are large drums that are common in most orchestras. Have you ever heard something that sounded like thunder in a song? That's probably timpani! You can also call timpani kettledrums. They're big percussion instruments that can be tuned to specific pitches using a foot pedal, and they're played with soft-headed mallets that professional timpanists usually make themselves. When you're talking about one individual drum, call it a timpano.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

timpani

The enigmatic trumpets sounded at the film’s beginning re-enter, their meaning now terribly clear; the orchestra convulses and collapses, and Alex marches upstairs, shown in an aerial shot punctuated with doleful timpani.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Two men wrestled three large timpani drums up the steps to the space before the altar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2025

The show in the conservatory’s packed auditorium opened with models in punk attire walking through the auditorium to timpani drumbeats.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2024

Percussionist Eric Shin’s xylophone was a special treat, as was Jauvon Gilliam’s tension-building timpani.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2023

This tally of instruments, occasionally beefed up by timpani and trumpets, was the template for the classical orchestra as used by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and their contemporaries.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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