tambourine

American  

[tam-buh-reen] / ˌtæm bəˈrin /

noun

1. a small drum consisting of a circular frame with a skin stretched over it and several pairs of metal jingles attached to the frame, played by striking with the knuckles, shaking, and the like.

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tambourine British  

/ ˌtæmbəˈriːn /

noun

1. music a percussion instrument consisting of a single drumhead of skin stretched over a circular wooden frame hung with pairs of metal discs that jingle when it is struck or shaken

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Other Word Forms

• tambourinist noun

Etymology

Origin of tambourine

1570–80; earlier tamboryne < Middle Dutch tamborijn small drum < Middle French tambourin or Medieval Latin tamborīnum. See tambour, -ine ¹

Example Sentences

“In the shower. Along with the radio. To my rubber duckies. Not out loud, not in public, not for other people. Someday, if I get ambitious, I might try the tambourine.”

From Literature

Moroccans took to the streets to celebrate and local media have shown videos of happy fans driving through Tangier waving the national flag, banging tambourines and honking their horns.

From BBC

Abbey loves “everything” about the music and dancing she tells me, excited to share that Mic personally gave her the tambourine and a few other instruments too.

From Los Angeles Times

No more Mr. Giraldo scaring the neighborhood pigeons with a tambourine.

From Literature

The rabbis encouraged them, and they made the women and young people sing and play tambourines and timbrels to keep up their spirits .

From Literature