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timbre - 6 dictionary results
tim⋅bre
[tam-ber, tim-; Fr. tan-bruh ] 
–noun
| 1. | Acoustics, Phonetics. the characteristic quality of a sound, independent of pitch and loudness, from which its source or manner of production can be inferred. Timbre depends on the relative strengths of the components of different frequencies, which are determined by resonance. |
| 2. | Music. the characteristic quality of sound produced by a particular instrument or voice; tone color. |
Origin:
1325–75; ME tymbre < F: sound (orig. of bell), MF: bell, timbrel, drum, OF: drum < MGk tímbanon, var. of Gk týmpanon drum
1325–75; ME tymbre < F: sound (orig. of bell), MF: bell, timbrel, drum, OF: drum < MGk tímbanon, var. of Gk týmpanon drum
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To timbre
| tim·bre (tām'bər, tĭm'-) n. The combination of qualities of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and volume. [French, from Old French, drum, clapperless bell, probably from Medieval Greek *timbanon, drum, from Greek tumpanon, kettledrum.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Timbre
Tim"bre\, n. See 1st Timber.Timbre
Tim"bre\, n. [F., a bell to be struck with a hammer, sound, tone, stamp, crest, in OF., a timbrel. Cf. Timbrel.]1. (Her.) The crest on a coat of arms. 2. (Mus.) The quality or tone distinguishing voices or instruments; tone color; clang tint; as, the timbre of the voice; the timbre of a violin. See Tone, and Partial tones, under Partial.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : timbre
Spanish:
timbre, campanilla,
German:
die Klingel,
Japanese:
ベル
timbre
"characteristic quality of a musical sound," 1849, from Fr. timbre "quality of a sound," earlier "sound of a bell," from O.Fr., "bell without a clapper," originally "drum," probably via Medieval Gk. *timbanon, from Gk. tympanon "kettledrum" (see tympanum). Timbre was used in O.Fr. (13c.) and M.E. (14c.) to render L. tympanum in Ps. 150.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: tim·bre
Variant: also tim·ber /'tam-b&r, 'tim-; 'tam(br&)/
Function: noun
: the quality givento a sound by its overtones: as a : the resonance by which the ear recognizes and identifies a voiced speech sound b : the quality of tone distinctive of a particularsinging voice or musical instrument —tim·bral /'tam-br&l, 'tim-/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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