tam-tamn.

1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 333 Cymbals, gongs, and the tamtam of the Chinese are made of an alloy of 100 of copper with about 25 of tin.

1856 M. C. Clarke tr. H. Berlioz Treat. Mod. Instrumentation 229 The gong, or tam-tam, is employed only in funereal compositions and dramatic scenes where terror is carried to its height.

1859 R. Hunt Guide Mus. Pract. Geol. (ed. 2) 210 The tam-tams and cymbals of bronze of the Chinese are forged with the hammer.

1900 Grove's Dict. Music (ed. 2) IV. 56/2 Tam-tam, the French term for the gong in the orchestra.

1933 M. D. Calvocoressi tr. H. Scherchen Handbk. Conducting iii. 132 The tone of the gong does not differ from that of the tamtam but is definite in pitch. Sometimes composers prescribe a gong when they obviously mean a tamtan.

1947 Penguin Music Mag. May 85 There is a passage for tubular bells, cymbal, tam-tam, triangle.

1951 E. Paul Springtime in Paris (U.K. ed.) vii. 131 The gyrations of a near-eastern dance, to the beat of inaudible tam-tams.

1961 Radio Times 20 July 18/3 Six players, their instruments including bongos and maracas..a whip, temple block, four tam-tams, and crotales.

1978 P. Griffiths Conc. Hist. Mod. Music xi. 164 A large tam tam (a kind of gong) is activated by two performers with various objects.

1983 Listener 15 Sept. 31/4 His orchestra (enlarged by two harps, piano, organ, celesta and a big percussion battery including tam-tam and bells) is handled with extreme refinement and virtuosity.