taiko

noun

tai·​ko ˈtī-(ˌ)kō 

plural taikos or taiko

1

or less commonly taiko drum plural taiko drums : any of various traditional Japanese wooden drums

… the sound of the great taiko is said to resemble a mother's heartbeat as felt in the womb …

—Stephi Wild

Taiko come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and sounds.

—G Adventure

Liu did a cartwheel on the ice after being introduced at the 2025 world championship and banged a Japanese taiko drum … at the Grand Prix final.

—Carole Glines

—often used before another noun

taiko drummers

a taiko drumming group

taiko drum workshops/performances

2

or taiko drumming : the art of playing taiko drums especially as an ensemble

Taiko is an exciting display of strength and power through music that enthralls all ages …

—Frumie Selchen, quoted in The Caledonian Record

Taiko is taught orally through … a phonetic system representing the drum sounds.

—Shuge Luo

[Quinten] Fairchild [drummer] said the ensemble, as opposed to a single drummer, is a relatively new style of taiko drumming first developed by Daihachi Oguchi in 1951.

—Cody Roberts

[Daihachi] Oguchi is credited as a pioneer in bringing the traditional, respected art of taiko drumming from the country's festivals and shrines to its concert halls. … He helped turn the traditional form into a dramatic performance spectacle.

—The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Examples of taiko in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As taiko accompanied the demonstration, Kawashita bowed, dipped the oversized brush and swept it across the paper in deliberate, fluid movements before completing the work with her signature in red. — Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

Guests explored the garden grounds, seeing energetic performances by Fushu Daiko taiko drummers, and write tribute messages on paper slips at the altar of museum founder George Morikami. — Mike Stocker, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026

Inspired by the Japanese holiday, the annual Como Park Japanese Obon Festival returns to the zoo grounds with dance, music, taiko drumming, martial arts demonstrations, food and beverages and games. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2026

From now through Sunday night, the outdoor stage will feature pan-Asian acts including dance, taiko, K-pop and martial arts to keep the crowds entertained. — Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese, "drum"

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1