tambourine

noun

tam·​bou·​rine ˌtam-bə-ˈrēn 

: a small drum

especially : a shallow one-headed drum with loose metallic disks at the sides played especially by shaking or striking with the hand

Illustration of tambourine

Examples of tambourine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Joining Springsteen were, on drums, Anton Fig; on guitar, Sig McGinnis; on keys, Shaffer; sitting in on sax and tambourine for the night, David Sanborn; and for reasons that remain elusive to our cursory internet research, Francisco Centeno on bass, and not Will Lee. —Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 25 June 2025

Earlier in his set, Godwin played an acoustic guitar while his band included a pedal steel guitar, banjo, keyboards and tambourines. —Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 16 June 2024

In the religious segment of the event, tambourines rattled as the new bishop of Chiclayo, Edinson Farfán, took to the microphone. —Marco Garro, New York Times, 12 May 2025

Toni Collette is still feeling the beat from that tambourine. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French tambourin, diminutive of tambour

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tambourine

• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene
• caesarean

Kids Definition

tambourine

noun

tam·​bou·​rine ˌtam-bə-ˈrēn 

: a shallow drum with one head and loose metal disks at the sides that is played by shaking or striking with the hand