Spanish word

bombo

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbombo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbass drum

Example

En la marcha, el bombo suena fuerte.

During the march, the bass drum sounds loud.

Illustration for bombo (bass drum)

More examples

En la banda, el bombo marca el compás.

In the band, the bass drum marks the beat.

Core concept

Large low-pitched drum used to mark the pulse in bands and orchestras.

Common phrases

  • tocar el bombo de la banda

    play the band's bass drum

  • golpear el bombo

    hit the bass drum

  • patrón de bombo

    bass drum pattern

Similar words

tambor: Cylindrical drum with a stretched head struck by hand or stick for rhythmic tones.
batería: Set of multiple drums and cymbals arranged for one player as a drum kit.
caja: Small, higher-pitched drum with metal snares beneath the head for sharp accents.
platillo: Thin metal disc that rings when struck, used for crashes and bright accents.

Definition in Spanish

Instrumento de percusión de gran tamaño con parche y sonido grave, usado en bandas y orquestas para marcar el pulso; en contextos no musicales, puede designar un tambor cilíndrico empleado en sorteos.

Word origin

From Late Latin bombus 'buzz, hum', ultimately from Greek βόμβος, originally a word for a deep resonant sound that became the name of a low-sounding drum.

Usage tips

  • Besides the musical instrument, 'bombo' can mean the cylindrical drum used in raffles, and the idiom 'con bombo y platillo' means to present something with great fanfare.

Other meanings

  • raffle drumnoun

Related words

  • bombásticobombasticadjective

Word lists with this word