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

My concerns were deepest around Narcizo, a brilliant drummer who, among other things, eschews the use of cymbals in fashioning a playing style that sounds like nobody else. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026

And their childhood friend Wesley Backer is on traps, banging on a 55-gallon rain barrel for a bass drum, buckets for the snare and toms, and sheet metal for cymbals. —Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026

The recording's static background is also too clear, and the cymbal hits are a bit too harsh. —Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026

While his peers aimed to achieve maximum tension by barking about capitalism over jabbing, if not outright obnoxious, guitars, Shaw scrapped layer after layer—distortion pedals, crash cymbals, eventually the drum machine itself—to crystalize his band’s own sound. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026

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