cymbal

noun cym·bal \ ˈsim-bəl \

|Updated on: 25 Jul 2018

Definition of cymbal

: a concave metal plate (as of brass or bronze) that produces a brilliant clashing tone and that is struck with a drumstick or is used in pairs struck glancingly together

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cymbalist

play \ˈsim-bə-list\ noun

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Recent Examples of cymbal from the Web

Traditional Chinese lion dancers from the Golden Lion Club around the corner had gathered near the start the race; several younger members played a drum, a gong and cymbals.

— pia peterson, New York Times, "Road Race of the Superwomen," 5 July 2018
The actors double as the band, playing piano, violin, melodica, a small trap drum, cymbals, washboard, trombone and a slew of kazoos and ukuleles.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "A Coarse, Cacophonous, Compelling 'Cabaret' In New Haven," 26 June 2018
Ranging in age from 14 to 21, the performers make up the horn line (brass instruments such as trumpet, tuba and trombone), percussion (drums, cymbals, keyboards and more) and color guard.

— anne dunlap, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Drum Corps International marches into Orlando," 6 July 2018
The special achievement awards, created by renowned Canadian cymbal makers Sabian, are also a playable percussive instrument, incorporating five custom bronze crotales.

— karen bliss, Billboard, "Shawn Mendes, peermusic & Sarah McLachlan Honored at 29th Annual SOCAN Awards," 21 June 2018
Imagine rolling up the doors on a set of storage trailers and seeing more than 70 drums, multiple sets of cymbals, amplifiers, drum stands and just for good measure, enough mechanic tools to start a car repair shop.

— prescotte stokes iii, star-telegram, "Did your band lose more than 70 drum sets? Police found them – and more," 24 Feb. 2018
Crashing cymbals and biting guitar chords sounded thin, as on AM radio, illustrating how much my ability to hear some frequencies had been degraded by age and years of thundering live shows.

— matthew kronsberg, WSJ, "Smart Headphones Tailor Made to Your Sense of Hearing," 20 June 2018
The thin layer of ice on the washes sparkled in the sunshine, and occasionally a covey of birds exploded from beneath the brush, adding cymbals to an otherwise easy listening classical movement.

— joe drape, New York Times, "On an Arizona Road Trip, Miles of Family Firsts," 12 June 2018
Andrew lifted his chin in anticipation of the churchlike burst of Hammond organ—Rick Wakeman and his array of keyboards—and then power nodded to the epic crash from Alan White’s cymbals.

— david gilbert, The New Yorker, "Fungus," 4 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cymbal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cymbal

Middle English, from Old English cymbal & Anglo-French cymbele, from Latin cymbalum, from Greek kymbalon, from kymbē bowl, boat

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

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CYMBAL Defined for English Language Learners

cymbal

noun

Definition of cymbal for English Language Learners

: a musical instrument in the form of a slightly curved thin metal plate that is played by hitting it with a drumstick or with another cymbal and that makes a very loud metallic sound