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timbre

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Timbre is defined as the characteristic quality of tone that makes two voices or sounds different.

(noun)

An example of timbre is the warm tone of Nat King Cole’s voice.

See timbre in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the characteristic quality of sound that distinguishes one voice or musical instrument from another or one vowel sound from another: it is determined by the harmonics of the sound and is distinguished from the intensity and pitch

Origin: Fr, timbre, earlier, sound of a bell < MFr, ball struck by a hammer < OFr, a kind of drum < LGr tymbanon < Gr tympanon: see tympan

Related Forms:

timbral adjective

See timbre in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

The combination of qualities of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and volume.

Origin:

Origin: French

Origin: , from Old French, drum, clapperless bell

Origin: , probably from Medieval Greek *timbanon, drum

Origin: , from Greek tumpanon, kettledrum

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