tambour

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: tam=bour

CIDE DICTIONARY

tambour, n. 

•  A kind of small flat drum; a tambourine.  [1913 Webster]
•  A small frame, commonly circular, and somewhat resembling a tambourine, used for stretching, and firmly holding, a portion of cloth that is to be embroidered; also, the embroidery done upon such a frame; -- called also, in the latter sense, tambour work.  [1913 Webster]
•  Same as Drum, n., 2(d).  [1913 Webster]
•  A work usually in the form of a redan, to inclose a space before a door or staircase, or at the gorge of a larger work. It is arranged like a stockade.  [1913 Webster]
•  A shallow metallic cup or drum, with a thin elastic membrane supporting a writing lever. Two or more of these are connected by an India rubber tube, and used to transmit and register the movements of the pulse or of any pulsating artery.  [1913 Webster]

tambour, v. t. 

 To embroider on a tambour.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tambour, n. & v.
--n.
1 a drum.
2 a a circular frame for holding fabric taut while it is being embroidered. b material embroidered in this way.
3 Archit. each of a sequence of cylindrical stones forming the shaft of a column.
4 Archit. the circular part of various structures.
5 Archit. a lobby with a ceiling and folding doors in a church porch etc. to obviate draughts.
6 a sloping buttress or projection in a fives-court etc.
--v.tr. (also absol.) decorate or embroider on a tambour.

Etymology

F f. tabour TABOR

ROGET THESAURUS

tambour

Musical Instruments

N musical instruments, band, string-band, brass-band, orchestra, orchestrina, monochord, polychord, harp, lyre, lute, archlute, mandola, mandolin, mandoline, guitar, zither, cither, cithern, gittern, rebeck, bandurria, bandura, banjo, bina, vina, xanorphica, viol, violin, fiddle, kit, viola, viola d'amore, viola di gamba, tenor, cremona, violoncello, bass, bass viol, base viol, theorbo, double base, contrabasso, violone, psaltery, bow, fiddlestick, piano, pianoforte, harpsichord, clavichord, clarichord, manichord, clavier, spinet, virginals, dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, vielle, pianino, Eolian harp, organ, harmonium, harmoniphon, American organ, barrel organ, hand organ, accordion, seraphina, concertina, humming top, flute, fife, piccolo, flageolet, clarinet, claronet, basset horn, corno di bassetto, oboe, hautboy, cor Anglais, corno Inglese, bassoon, double bassoon, contrafagotto, serpent, bass clarinet, bagpipes, union pipes, musette, ocarina, Pandean pipes, reed instrument, sirene, pipe, pitch-pipe, sourdet, whistle, catcall, doodlesack, harmoniphone, horn, bugle, cornet, cornet-a-pistons, cornopean, clarion, trumpet, trombone, ophicleide, French horn, saxophone, sax, buglehorn, saxhorn, flugelhorn, althorn, helicanhorn, posthorn, sackbut, euphonium, bombardon tuba, cymbal, bell, gong, tambour, tambourine, tamborine, drum, tom-tom, tabor, tabret, tabourine, taborin, side drum, kettle drum, timpani, tympani, tymbal, timbrel, castanet, bones, musical glasses, musical stones, harmonica, sounding-board, rattle, tam-tam, zambomba, reed, tuning fork, triangle, Jew's harp, musical box, harmonicon, xylophone, sordine, sordet, sourdine, sourdet, mute, (iv) PERCEPTION OF SOUND.