kendang

noun ken·dang \ ˈken-ˌdäŋ \

Definition of kendang

plural kendang also kendangs

: any of various double-headed drums of Indonesia and Malaysia

The kendang is always the leading instrument in gamelan orchestras, regulating tempos and cueing transitions.
—Jan Laurens Hartong, Musical Terms Worldwide, 2006

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Origin and Etymology of kendang

borrowed from Javanese kendhang, going back to Old Javanese kəṇḍaŋ “kind of drum”

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First Known Use: 1913

in the meaning defined above

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