tambourine

noun

tam·​bou·​rine ˌtam-bə-ˈrēn How to pronounce tambourine (audio)
: a small drum
especially : a shallow one-headed drum with loose metallic disks at the sides played especially by shaking or striking with the hand

Illustration of tambourine

Illustration of tambourine

Examples of tambourine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A’ja Wilson stood inside a circle of her Las Vegas Aces teammates on Friday, playing a tambourine. Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 After the win, Wilson walked around the bowels of Mortgage Matchup Center, rattling a pink tambourine that an Aces trainer gave her. Ben Pickman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 Wilson played a tambourine in celebration of Gray's comments on Friday. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025 As darkness fell, Price, sometimes with a guitar and sometimes a tambourine and sometimes just the mic, served as a fun bridge between the rootsy afternoon sound and the both increasingly folksy Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Dave Matthews (and Tim Reynolds) and John Mellencamp. Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tambourine

Word History

Etymology

Middle French tambourin, diminutive of tambour

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tambourine was in 1579

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tambourine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tambourine. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

tambourine

noun
tam·​bou·​rine ˌtam-bə-ˈrēn How to pronounce tambourine (audio)
: a shallow drum with one head and loose metal disks at the sides that is played by shaking or striking with the hand

More from Merriam-Webster on tambourine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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