timpani

noun

tim·​pa·​ni ˈtim-pə-nē How to pronounce timpani (audio)
variants or less commonly tympani
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: a set of two or more kettledrums played by one performer in an orchestra or band

Examples of timpani 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.
There’s a strong resemblance to the transcendent coda of Mahler’s Third Symphony, in which two pairs of timpani pound repeatedly on D and A, doubling the values at the very end. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024 The score even begins with this low buzz and timpani rumble that sounds like an engine revving up. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024 For the show’s opening cue, as Bass is on a horse trotting behind Confederate soldiers, Dancy used the timpani for the military nod. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 June 2024 An interlude of golden horns introduced the concerto’s bracing finish, a little ostinato passed between the percussion and the strings, a triumphant theme mounting across the brass, a heroic rumble of timpani. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for timpani 

Word History

Etymology

Italian, plural of timpano kettledrum, from Latin tympanum drum — more at tympanum

First Known Use

circa 1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of timpani was circa 1854

Dictionary Entries Near timpani

Cite this Entry

“Timpani.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/timpani. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

timpani

plural noun
tim·​pa·​ni
variants also tympani
ˈtim-pə-nē
: a set of two or three kettledrums played by one performer
timpanist
-nəst
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on timpani

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