timbre
Pluraltimbres
- 1What makes one sound different from another, even when the pitch and loudness are the same.
Like how you can tell your friend's voice from a stranger's, even when they both say the same word.
The timbre of her voice made it easy to pick out in a crowded room.
A flute and a violin can play the same note, yet their timbre sounds very different.
Similartone, color, quality, resonance, sound
Note
- 2How high or low a sound seems to the ear, compared with its real pitch.
To most listeners the timbre of that note seemed higher than it truly was.
The bell always rings the same note, but on foggy mornings its timbre seems lower.
Similarpitch
Note
- 3The decoration shown on top of the helmet above a coat of arms.
Like the special design on a knight's helmet that shows which family he belongs to.
The family's timbre showed a small golden lion above the shield.
An artist carefully painted the timbre on top of the helmet.
Similarcrest
Note
Practice
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Origin
It comes from French timbre, which goes all the way back to the Ancient Greek word túmpanon, meaning 'drum'.