A variant spelling or historical form of cymbal, a percussion instrument consisting of two metal disks that are struck together to make a ringing sound.
From Middle English and Latin 'cymbalum' derived from Greek 'kymbale.' The spelling 'cimbal' is an older orthographic variant that persists in some European languages and historical texts.
The cymbal's ancestors were ancient water vessels—someone banging two bowls together and thinking 'hey, that sounds cool' accidentally invented one of music's loudest instruments!
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