timbre en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- tăm'bər (General-American)
- /ˈtɪm.bɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈtɪm.bə/ (Australia)
- (US) audio
- /ˈtæm.bɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈtæmbɹə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈtæmbə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
- /tɛ̃bɹ(ə)/ (Received-Pronunciation, dated)
- tĭm'bər (General-American)
Etymology
From French timbre, ultimately from Ancient Greek τύμπανον (túmpanon, “drum”). Doublet of tympanum, timpani, timbal, and tymbal.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume.
It was a hard whisper to catch at first, since the grey moustache concealed all movements of the lips, and something in its timbre disturbed me greatly; but by concentrating my attention I could soon make out its purport surprisingly well.
1931, H. P. Lovecraft, chapter 7, in The Whisperer in Darkness:
-
(countable, uncountable) The pitch of a sound as heard by the ear, described relative to its absolute pitch.
When someone speaks after inhaling helium, his voice has a higher timbre. With sulfur hexafluoride, the result is a lower timbre.
-
(countable, uncommon, uncountable) The crest on a (helmet atop a) coat of arms.
Quarterly the First quarter Siluer …, The second Siluer a Cheueron gules betweene three Castles Sables And to his timbre vpon his healme, an Elephants head in his proper Colours […]
1492, "Confirmation of arms with difference and crest to Thomas and John Elyott by John Writhe, Garter, dated 7th July, 1492 (MS. queen's Coll. 139, No. 13.)", in 1925, Willoughby Aston Littledale, A Collection of Miscellaneous Grants, Crests, Confirmations, Augmentations and Exemplifications of Arms in the Mss. Preserved in the British Museum, Ashmolean Library, Queen's College, Oxford, and Elsewhere, page 70The basilican pavilion [...] has frequently appeared on banners since the 13th century, but the pope has used it only rarely, as a timbre or crest above his coat of ARMS (a few examples exist from the time of MARTIN V).
2002, Philippe Levillain, John W. O'Malley, The Papacy: Gaius-Proxies, Psychology Press, →ISBN, page 1145:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| timbres | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
timbric · timbreless · timbred · timbrical · timbral
Synonyms
Translations (46)
cs barva zvuku (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · ru тембр (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · sh timbar (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · tr tını (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · hu hangszínezet (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · ja 音色 (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · id warna nada (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · sv klangfärg (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · tl kaalngawan (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · is hljómblær (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · ro timbru (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · sv klang (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · es timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · gl timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · da klangfarve (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · hu hangszín (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · nb klangfarge (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · nb timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · nb klang (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · mi hā (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · mk те́мбр (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · ms warna ton (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · fi sointiväri (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · uk тембр (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · de Timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · oc timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · pt timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · ca timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · is tónblær (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · id cocok nada (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · hu hangárnyalat (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · bg тембър (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · nl klankkleur (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · fr timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · sh boja zvuka (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · da klang (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · nl timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · cmn 音色 (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · it timbro (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · pl barwa (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · da timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · el ηχόχρωμα (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · sv timbre (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · de Klangfarbe (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · pl tembr (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume) · id irama nada (quality of a sound independent of its pitch and volume)