tabla

T1A1B3L1A1
/ˈtɑblə//ˈtʌblə/

noun

A pair of tuned hand drums, used in various musical genres of the Indian subcontinent, that are similar to bongos.

OriginHindustani ← Arabic طَبْلَة →
Less commonScrabble 7
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Meanings

tabla1

nountabla (plural tablas)

plural tablas

  1. entertainmentA pair of tuned hand drums, used in various musical genres of the Indian subcontinent, that are similar to bongos.

    Idealized membranes, plates and bars are clearly inadequate and give way to the reality of tablas, gongs and zanzas.

    2013, Simon Emmerson, Living Electronic Music, page 20

Tabla2

proper noun
  1. A barangay of Calubian, Leyte, Philippines.

Origin

  1. Arabicطَبْلَة
  2. Hindustani
  3. Englishtabla

From Hindustani طبلہ / तबला (tablā), from Arabic طَبْلَة (ṭabla). Cognate of Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese tambor.

More words from Hindustani, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali তবলা
  • তবলা (tobola)an Indian drum
Bulgarian табла
  • табла (tabla)an Indian drum
Catalan tabla
  • tablaan Indian drum
Chinese Mandarin 塔布拉鼓
  • 塔布拉鼓 (tǎbùlāgǔ)an Indian drum
Dutch tabla
  • tablaan Indian drum
Finnish tabla
  • tablaan Indian drum
French tabla
  • tablaan Indian drum
German Tabla
  • Tablaan Indian drum
Hebrew טַאבְּלָה
  • טַאבְּלָה (tabla)an Indian drum
Hindi तबला
  • तबला (tablā)an Indian drum
Hungarian tablá
  • tabláan Indian drum
Italian tabla
  • tablaan Indian drum
Japanese タブラ
  • タブラ (tabura)an Indian drum
Korean 타블라
  • 타블라 (tabeulla)an Indian drum
Persian طبله
  • طبلهan Indian drum
Punjabi ਤਬਲਾ
  • ਤਬਲਾ (tablā)an Indian drum
Russian та́бла
  • та́бла (tábla)an Indian drum
Spanish tabla
  • tablaan Indian drum
Tamil தபலா
  • தபலா (tapalā)an Indian drum
Ukrainian та́бла
  • та́бла (tábla)an Indian drum
Urdu طبلہ
  • طبلہ (tablā)an Indian drum

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

BaltaLabatblaatTabaltalab
Cite this entry
APA

tabla. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tabla

MLA

“tabla.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tabla. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tabla,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tabla.

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