cymbal

noun

cym·​bal ˈsim-bəl 

: 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

cymbalist

ˈsim-bə-list 

noun

Examples of cymbal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Also, the hi-res LDAC Bluetooth streaming lets supported Android phones feed the 40 mm drivers every detail of your tracks, giving cymbals shimmer and bass depth without wires. —Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025

The cymbals date back to somewhere between 2200 B.C. and 2000 B.C. Pictures show the cymbals as identical in size. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025

See the ‘rare’ finds Archaeologists in Oman uncovered a 4,000-year-old musical instrument, a pair of copper cymbals, in the ruins of an ancient building in Dahwa. —Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2025

The weakness shows up more in the cymbals, which experience compression, especially the closed hi-hat hits. —PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cymbal

• gimbal
• nimble
• symbol
• thimble

Kids Definition

cymbal

noun

cym·​bal ˈsim-bəl 

: a brass plate that is struck with a drumstick or is used in pairs struck together to make a clashing sound

cymbalist

-bə-ləst 

noun