a large circular metal disk that makes a deep, resonant sound when struck with a mallet, used in music and to signal or announce things.
From Malay 'gong,' borrowed into European languages through maritime trade in the 1600s. The word is onomatopoetic, imitating the sound the instrument makes.
The word 'gong' imitates the sound it makes—it's onomatopoeia from Southeast Asia, which is why traders brought both the instrument AND the word back to Europe!
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