Tamburo

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of cylindrical drum typically played with sticks or hands, often found in various musical traditions
2. A percussion instrument that produces sound through vibration, used in ensembles or orchestras to provide rhythm
3. A drum characterized by its hollow body and skin or membrane, common in folk music and cultural ceremonies

Etymology: Italian "tamburo" means "drum," and its path into Italian is tied to an Arabic word. It descends from Old Italian "tamburo," probably borrowed from Old French "tambour," which itself comes from Arabic "ṭunbūr," the name of a long-necked lute. The Arabic word likely echoes the sound of a plucked string, and it is related to the Persian "tanbur," a family of similar instruments. Lutes and drums were not so far apart in medieval musical vocabulary, and the two words traveled together through Romance languages. The sense shifted as the word moved west. Over centuries, "tambour" came to denote a drum in French and Italian, and an embroidery frame, which is shaped like a drumhead, in French. The Italian form kept the drum meaning, and the English words "tambourine" and "tabor" are related through the same family of terms.

Synonyms: drum, tambourine