tamboura
noun
tam·bou·ra
tam-ˈbu̇r-ə 
variants
or tambura
: an Asian musical instrument resembling a lute in construction but without frets and used to produce a drone accompaniment to singing
Examples of tamboura in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As a singer and player of the Indian tamboura, and later a disciple of the Indian classical singer Pandit Pran Nath, Ms. Zazeela performed with her husband in hundreds of concerts.
—
Walker Mimms, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
With the lyrics mostly in place, the music came largely from Harrison's fascination with Indian compositions, which made use of long tamboura drones.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2022
Then the two improvised for twenty minutes or so over an Indian tamboura drone.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
And there were instruments galore: Harpsichords, tamboura, Mellotron, harmonium, woodwinds, and a variety of guitars, pianos, and tambourines.
—William Goodman, Billboard, 26 May 2017
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Walker Mimms, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
With the lyrics mostly in place, the music came largely from Harrison's fascination with Indian compositions, which made use of long tamboura drones.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2022
Then the two improvised for twenty minutes or so over an Indian tamboura drone.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
And there were instruments galore: Harpsichords, tamboura, Mellotron, harmonium, woodwinds, and a variety of guitars, pianos, and tambourines.
—William Goodman, Billboard, 26 May 2017
Cite this Entry
“Tamboura.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tamboura. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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