marimba

noun ma·rim·ba \ mə-ˈrim-bə \

|Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of marimba

: a xylophone of southern Africa and Central America with resonators beneath each bar; also : a modern form of this instrument

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marimbist

play \-bist\ noun

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Recent Examples of marimba from the Web

During a time when too many rock bands aped Nirvana’s and Pearl Jam’s styles, whining through their bad Eddie Vedder impressions to land a lucrative hit, the sound of marimba echoing under soft, breezy symphonies offered a welcome counterpoint.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Finding the Soundtrack to My Desert Life," 25 Apr. 2018
Giant Sand’s drummer, John Convertino, was a multi-instrumentalist who played xylophone, accordion, guitar, marimba, and piano.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Finding the Soundtrack to My Desert Life," 25 Apr. 2018
For such an electronic deluge, the music often found its tension mixing more organic elements – booming tribal percussion, a space-age marimba and, briefly, Jarre's old trademark, the laser harp.

— andrew dansby, Houston Chronicle, "Back to the future: Jean-Michel Jarre brings a feast of sound and light," 11 Apr. 2018
Three musical ensembles from local youth organizations will set the stage for Masary Studios’ drum and marimba performance.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Five things to do the week of April 16-22," 14 Apr. 2018
Julia Le played Flight of the Bumblebee on the marimba.

— sarah espedido, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Miss Vietnam Florida 2018:," 3 Apr. 2018
Over what were already speedy tempos, a marimba that sprinted and arpeggiated in double time became a frenetic invitation to party.

— jon pareles, New York Times, "South by Southwest Music Festival: 17 Acts That Stood Out," 18 Mar. 2018
Here it was played on marimba, which of course eliminated both the harpsichord’s singular timbre and its historical associations, leaving a virtuosity that was not enough.

— alan artner, chicagotribune.com, "Ligeti series continues with a lark, a workout and a rare performance," 13 Feb. 2018
Gunn Theater, Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, 100 34th Ave., S.F. www.sfsymphony.org CNMAT Users Group Presents: Transient Canvas Amy Advocat and Matt Sharrock, bass clarinet/marimba duo.

— chronicle staff report, San Francisco Chronicle, "Classical music and dance listings," 9 Feb. 2018

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