Main Entry:

tim·bre

Variant(s):

also tim·ber \ˈtam-bər, ˈtim-; ˈtam(br^ə)\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

French, from Middle French, bell struck by a hammer, from Old French, drum, from Middle Greek tymbanon kettledrum, from Greek tympanon — more at tympanum

Date:

1845

: the quality given to a sound by its overtones: as a: the resonance by which the ear recognizes and identifies a voiced speech sound b: the quality of tone distinctive of a particular singing voice or musical instrument

— tim·bral \ˈtam-brəl, ˈtim-\ adjective