cymbal

C3Y4M3B3A1L1
/ˈsɪmbəl/[ˈsɪmbɫ̩]

noun

A concave plate of metal, usually brass or bronze, that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck: played either in pairs, by striking them together, or singly by striking with a drumstick or the like.

OriginMiddle English cymbal ← Old English cimbal ← Old French cimbale →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nouncymbal (plural cymbals)

plural cymbals

  1. entertainmentA concave plate of metal, usually brass or bronze, that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck: played either in pairs, by striking them together, or singly by striking with a drumstick or the like.

    I see the Crusaders' tumultuous armies—hark, how the cymbals clang […]

    1881–82, Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, The Mystic Trumpeter"
    3 more examples

    The trumpets, sackbuts, psalteries and fifes, Tabours and cymbals and the shouting Romans, Make the sun dance.

    c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]

    Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 13

    Trumpets and Drums shall fright her from the Throne, As sounding Cymbals aid the lab'ring Moon.

    1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, Act I, page 5

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκύμβαλον
  2. Latincymbalum“cymbal”
  3. Old Frenchcimbale
  4. Old Englishcimbal
  5. Middle Englishcymbal
  6. Englishcymbal

From Middle English cymbal, from Old English cimbal, cimbala and Old French cimbale, both from Latin cymbalum (“cymbal”), from Ancient Greek κύμβαλον (kúmbalon), from κύμβη (kúmbē, “bowl”). See also chime.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κύμβαλον
  • κύμβαλον (kúmbalon)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Arabic صَنْج
  • صَنْج (ṣanj)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Bulgarian чинел
  • чинел (činel)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Catalan platerets
  • plateretsconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Chinese Mandarin 鐃鈸 /铙钹, 鈸 /钹
  • 鐃鈸 /铙钹 (náobó)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • 鈸 /钹 (bó)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • 鑔 /镲 (chǎ)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Czech činel
  • činelconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Danish bækken
  • bækkenconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Dutch klankbekken
  • klankbekkenconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Esperanto cimbalo
  • cimbaloconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Estonian taldrik
  • taldrikconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Finnish lautanen, symbaali
  • lautanenconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • symbaaliconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
French cymbale
  • cymbaleconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
German Becken, Zimbel
  • Beckenconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • Zimbelconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Greek κύμβαλο
  • κύμβαλο (kýmvalo)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Hindi झाँझ
  • झाँझ (jhāñjh)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Hungarian cintányér
  • cintányérconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Icelandic málmgjöll, symball
  • málmgjöllconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • symballconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Irish ciombal
  • ciombalconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Italian piatto
  • piattoconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Japanese シンバル
  • シンバル (shimbaru)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Korean 제금, 바라
  • 제금 (jegeum)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • 바라 (bara)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • 심벌즈 (simbeoljeu)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Latin cymbalum
  • cymbalumconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Latvian šķīvji
  • šķīvjiconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Māori tīwēwē
  • tīwēwēconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Norwegian Bokmål bekken, cymbal
  • bekkenconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • cymbalconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Persian سنج, چلپ
  • سنج (senj)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • چلپ (čalap)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Polish talerz, czynel
  • talerzconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • czynelconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Portuguese prato
  • pratoconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Russian таре́лки, таре́лка
  • таре́лки (tarélki)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • таре́лка (tarélka)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Spanish plato, platos
  • platoconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • platosconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • platilloconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • platillosconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • címbaloconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • címbalosconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • cimbalesconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Swedish cymbal, bäcken
  • cymbalconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
  • bäckenconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Tagalog pompiyang
  • pompiyangconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Thai ฉาบ
  • ฉาบ (chàap)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Turkish halile
  • halileconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Ukrainian тарілки́
  • тарілки́ (tarilký)concave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck
Vietnamese chũm choẹ
  • chũm choẹconcave plate of brass or bronze that produces a sharp, ringing sound when struck

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with cymbal

symbolTrimblenimblethimblegimbalgimblebimblelimbalAbu Simbelcimbaldimblefimblewimble
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

symbol
Cite this entry
APA

cymbal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cymbal

MLA

“cymbal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cymbal. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cymbal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cymbal.

Source: cymbal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.