Timbre
/ˈtæm.bər/noun
The character or quality of a sound that distinguishes it from others of the same pitch and loudness.
Did you know?English took *timbre* from French, where it originally meant a bell or a heraldic shield, and its deeper history is tied to a word for a drum or frame-like object rather than any mystical concept.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τύμπανον (týmpanon)
“a drum or percussion instrument”
Late Latin
Latin
tympanum
“a drum, wheel, or flat circular object”
Old French
Old French
timbre
“a bell; a heraldic shield; later a stamp or seal”
Middle English
English
timbre
“a bell or bell-metal sound; later, a distinctive tone color”
Modern English
English
timbre
“the distinctive quality of a sound”
Explore more surprising origins