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