bodhran

American  

[baw-rahn] / ˈbɔ rɑn /

Or bodhrán

noun

1. a handheld, shallow Irish drum with a single goatskin head, played with a stick.

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bodhrán British  

/ baʊˈrɑːn, ˈboːrɑːn /

noun

1. a shallow one-sided drum popular in Irish and Scottish folk music

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Etymology

Origin of bodhran

1965–70; Irish Gaelic bodhrán, from Middle Irish bodrán, from bodar “deafening, deaf”

Example Sentences

Flautist Jean-Michel Veillon represents the Breton strand of Celtic culture, and John Joe Kelly is a maestro of the bodhran, the traditional Irish frame drum.

From Washington Post • Mar. 12, 2015

The lush harmonies, intricate acoustic arrangements — fiddle, guitar, banjo, bodhran, whistles and more — make this far from standard fare.

From Washington Times • Nov. 24, 2014

There’s a fiddle, a guitar, a bodhran, a concertina, maybe a banjo or a flute or a tin whistle.

From New York Times • Mar. 15, 2012

His bowing techniques often added a percussive overlay that augmented Shane Shanahan’s subtle contributions on the bodhran, a frame drum, and Mr. O’Dette’s gentle strumming.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2011

The vocals are high and delicate, the melody – played on guitar and xylophone – is agile, with percussion from an Irish bodhran winding around it.

From The Guardian • Aug. 5, 2010