tambourin

[ tam-boo-rin; French tahn-boo-ran ]

noun

, plural tam·bou·rins [tam, -b, oo, -rinz, tah, n, -b, oo, -, ran].

1. a long narrow drum of Provence.
2. an old Provençal dance in duple meter, accompanied by a drone bass or by a steady drumbeat.
3. the music for this dance.

tambourin

/ ˈtæmbʊrɪn /

noun

1. an 18th-century Provençal folk dance
2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance
3. a small drum

Word History and Origins

Origin of tambourin¹

1790–1800; < French < Provençal tamborin, diminutive of tambor tambour

Word History and Origins

Origin of tambourin¹

C18: from French: a little drum, from tambour

Example Sentences

The French government asked Jean-Luc Beylat, president of Nokia Bell Labs France in Paris, and Pierre Tambourin, general director of the biocluster Genopole in Evry, to review the so-called Allègre Law of 1999, which sought to make it easier for scientists to engage in entrepreneurship, as well as similar initiatives.

From Science Magazine

Throughout the set, which included such once-popular items as “Caprice Viennois,” “Tambourin Chinois,” “Liebesleid” and “Liebesfreud,” Chalifour paid allegiance to Kreisler’s sometimes gooey playing style without overdoing it.

From Los Angeles Times

Kreisler’s “Tambourin Chinois,” a popular encore piece, showed off Mr. Vengerov’s virtuosity in more traditional technique but suffered from coordination problems with the orchestra.

From New York Times

And while Rameau’s “Les Cyclopes” had urgency and his “Tambourin” a steamy heat, his more deliberately characterful pieces were wrapped in uneasy intensity.

From New York Times

Five decades later, Léger created Danseuse au tambourin.

From Architectural Digest