tabla

noun

ta·​bla ˈtä-blə How to pronounce tabla (audio)
: a pair of small different-sized hand drums used especially in music of India

Illustration of tabla

Illustration of tabla

Examples of tabla in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A lot of the bluegrass instruments work perfectly within Indian rhythms because of the nature of it, three against two, all these intertwining rhythms that go on in banjo playing and also in tabla. Gary Graff, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024 Zakir Hussain, a prolific player of the Indian tabla hand drums who helped bring Indian classical music to an international audience, died Sunday in San Francisco. Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 16 Dec. 2024 The Grateful Dead percussionist and Indian tabla master were tight, as friends and as musicians. Gary Graff, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024 Zakir Hussain, a prolific Indian musician known for playing the tabla, died on Sunday in San Francisco, his management company confirmed. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tabla 

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu tablā, from Arabic ṭabla

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tabla was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near tabla

Cite this Entry

“Tabla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tabla. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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