Link Centre Dictionary

timbre

UK/ˈtæmbɹə/ US/ˈtæmbə/ uncommon

noun

1.

(music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound)

  • “the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely”
  • “the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet”

Origin

From French timbre, ultimately from Ancient Greek τύμπανον (túmpanon, “drum”). Doublet of tympanum, timpani, timbal, and tymbal.

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Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.