timpani

or tym·pa·ni

[ tim-puh-nee ]
See synonyms for timpani on Thesaurus.com
noun(used with a singular or plural verb)
  1. a set of kettledrums, especially as used in an orchestra or band.

Origin of timpani

1
<Italian, plural of timpano kettledrum <Latin tympanum<Greek týmpanon

Other words from timpani

  • tim·pa·nist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for timpani

timpani

tympani

/ (ˈtɪmpənɪ) /


pl n
  1. (sometimes functioning as singular) a set of kettledrums, two or more in number: Often (informal) shortened to: timps

Origin of timpani

1
from Italian, pl of timpano kettledrum, from Latin: tympanum

Derived forms of timpani

  • timpanist or tympanist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for timpani

timpani

[ (tim-puh-nee) ]


Italian for kettledrums; the term timpani is often preferred by composers and performers.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.