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 lot of them needed a lead guitar and probably some harmonies and maybe a tambourine. — David Chiu, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2026 There were accordions and tambourines, and a giant fir tree that, one year, toppled under its own weight. — Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026 This studio feels comfortable, if professional, with a bright yellow tambourine and thick coils of cords. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 11 May 2026 Eve Get your tambourines ready because Ruff Ryders ‘ First Lady has arrived. — Malik Davis, VIBE.com, 17 June 2026 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

Rhymes for tambourine

See All Rhymes for tambourine

Browse Nearby Words

tambourin
tambourine
tambourinist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tambourine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tambourine. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Nglish: Translation of tambourine for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tambourine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All