timpani

Syllables: tim·pa·ni/ˈtɪmpəni/

timpani noun: the set of precision kettledrums in an orchestra. Also the plural of timpano.

Image: Reinhold Möller Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

timpani (plural timpanis or timpani)

The set of precision kettledrums in an orchestra.
- Since the timpani is a legato instrument, a note must be allowed to sound and ring to achieve the full effect of the drum.2010, Steven L. Schweizer, Timpani Tone and the Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 38
Synonyms:

kettledrums, naker, temple drums, timps

Also used as

timpani is also the plural of timpano.

timpani meaning in Persian and Vietnamese

Synonyms of timpani

kettledrums
naker
temple drums
timps

Forms of timpani

plural	timpanis
plural	timpani
alternative form	tympani

Origin of timpani

Borrowed from Italian timpani, plural of timpano (“drum”), from Latin tympanum (“drum”), from Ancient Greek τύμπανον (túmpanon), from τύπτω (túptō, “to strike, to hit”). Doublet of tympanum, timbre, timbal, and tymbal.

Words formed from timpani

timpanist

Questions about timpani

What does timpani mean?: Timpani means the set of precision kettledrums in an orchestra.
What is timpani in Persian?: Timpani in Persian is تیمپانی (timpâni). See Timpani meaning in Persian.
What part of speech is timpani?: Timpani is a noun.
How do you pronounce timpani?: Timpani is pronounced /ˈtɪmpəni/.
What is the plural of timpani?: The plural of timpani is timpanis.

Words near timpani in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: timpani (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-timpani.wav.

Cite this entry: “timpani.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/timpani. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.