[mod. F. (Voltaire, 1769) = Pr. tamborin, It. tamburino, dim, of tambour drum: the earlier Fr. form down to 1700 was tabourin: see TABORIN.]
1. The long narrow drum or tabor used in Provence (see TABORIN); applied also to ‘a bottle-shaped drum used in Egypt’ (Cent. Dict.).
1833. Brewster, Nat. Magic, viii. 205. He holds in one hand a flageolet, and in the other the stick with which he beats the tambourin.
1907. Rickert, Gold. Hawk, xxxix. 296. The music was pipe and tambourin, of course, how else should one dance in Provence?
2. A Provençal dance, originally accompanied by the tambourin. b. A piece of music for such a dance, in duple rhythm and quick time.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XVIII. 305/1. Tambourin,… name or a dance performed on the French stage. The air is lively, and the movements are quick.
1884. W. B. Squire, in Grove, Dict. Mus., IV. 55. Tambourin, an old Provençal dance, in its original form accompanied by a Flute and Tambour de Basque [error for Tambourin].
Hence Tambourin v., to play on the tambourin; Tambourinade (after serenade, etc.; see -ADE], a performance on the tambourin.
1808. Satirist, II. 1 May, 228. He was absolutely superintending the rehearsal of some dancing dogs and tambourining cats.
1884. J. Payne, Tales fr. Arabic, II. 234. They gave not over … tambourining and piping till the night waned.
1893. E. H. Barker, Wand South. Waters, 27. Every morning at five the tailor … awoke the echoes of the gorge with a long and furious tambourinade.
