I. ˈtambə(r), ˈtim-, ˈtaam- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French — more at timbre III
: the crest on a coat of arms
II. transitive verb
also tim·ber “
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to surmount and adorn with a heraldic timbre
III. noun
also timber “
( -s )
Etymology: French timbre, from Middle French, bell struck by a hammer, crest of a helmet, armorial crest, from Old French, drum, from Middle Greek tymbanon kettledrum, alteration of Greek tympanon — more at tympanum
1. : a quality of sound that depends chiefly on the presence or absence and the relative intensity of various overtones: as
a. : the resonance quality of a voiced speech sound by which the ear recognizes and identifies it
b. : the quality of tone distinctive of a singing voice or an instrument
2. : distinctive character, quality, or tone
that consciousness is clearly very closely related to the author's own personal timbre — F.R.Leavis
the dance did not prove to be one of dark timbre — Dance Observer
would have shamed them forever, had they had the timbre of his world in their characters — Yale Review