Tambour
/ˈtæm.bər/noun
A drum or drum-like object, especially a small drum or a revolving drum-shaped part in machinery or architecture.
Did you know?English tambour comes through French from Arabic ṭanbūr, a name for a stringed instrument; the same ancient musical root later spread across cultures and helped shape words for instruments and drum-like forms.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
pandoura
“a stringed instrument, usually a lute-like lyre”
Late Antiquity
Arabic
ṭunbūr / ṭanbūr
“a long-necked stringed instrument”
Medieval French
Old French
tambour
“a drum; later, a drum-shaped object”
16th Century
English
tambour
“a drum or drum-like frame; later borrowed in specialized senses”
Modern English
English
tambour
“a drum, or a drum-shaped revolving cylinder or decorative frame”