What does cymbal mean?
A cymbal is a round metal plate, usually made of brass or bronze, that rings loudly and brightly when struck. It is one of the oldest instruments in the world, known since antiquity across the Middle East and Mediterranean, and it remains essential to modern music: drum kits carry several cymbals of different sizes and characters, such as the crash cymbal for accents and the ride cymbal for steady rhythm, while orchestras deploy large pairs clashed together for dramatic effect. The word is a noun, normally plural when referring to paired hand cymbals, and its near-identical pronunciation with 'symbol' makes it a frequent source of confusion despite the two words having nothing in common. From ancient temple rituals to jazz clubs and rock arenas, the cymbal has endured because few sounds match its brilliance and power.
nounA cymbal is a flat, circular plate of metal (typically brass or bronze) that produces a loud, ringing clash when struck, used especially in drum kits and orchestral percussion. Cymbals are often played in pairs that are clashed together, or singly with sticks or mallets.
- A concave metal plate struck to produce a bright, sustained ringing sound, played singly on a stand as part of a drum kit or orchestra.
- (usually plural) A pair of such plates clashed together by hand or mounted on a machine, as in orchestral or marching band percussion.
"The drummer crashed the cymbal to punctuate the final chord of the song."
"She hit the ride cymbal lightly, keeping time through the quiet verses."
"The conductor raised his baton, and the cymbals clashed at the climax of the overture."
The standard plural simply adds -s. Paired hand cymbals are almost always referred to in the plural.
"In the marching band, the cymbals crashed in unison at every turn."
Cymbals are so ancient they appear in the Bible's Book of Psalms — 'Praise him with the psaltery and cymbals' — making them over three thousand years old and still crashing at every rock concert today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cymbal
The word 'cymbal' entered Middle English around the fourteenth century via Old French 'cimbale', ultimately deriving from Latin 'cymbalum', which was borrowed from Greek 'kymbalon'. The Greek term described the same instrument — a pair of small bronze plates clashed together — suggesting the word travelled alongside the object itself from the ancient Near East into classical Greece. English cognates include 'timbrel' and related percussion names descending from the same family of ancient frame-drum and clashing-instrument terms.
How cymbal is actually used
Almost always used in the plural when referring to hand-clashed pairs; the singular is common for individual pieces of a drum kit. The word is neutral in register and appears freely from technical music writing to everyday conversation.
Easily confused with cymbal
A symbol is a sign or object representing an idea, while a cymbal is a metal percussion instrument — the two are pronounced nearly identically but entirely unrelated in meaning.