timpani
noun
tim·pa·ni ˈtim-pə-nē 
variants or less commonly tympani
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: a set of two or more kettledrums played by one performer in an orchestra or band
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Percussionist Ray Cooper moved from drums to timpani for the song’s climactic ending, the crowd roaring in approval. 
Jim Ryan, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Peter Kozma conducted an ensemble that included period horns, trumpets and timpani. San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2022 Stagehands scurried around packing up cellos, basses, timpani, pianos and other equipment. New York Times, 1 Oct. 2021 Despite intriguing instrumentation — two harps, timpani, celeste and two clear oboes among a more typical amount of strings, horns and flutes — the overall effect is not deep, but a rich tapestry is not what Shankar is going for here. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 7 May 2022 Then the music darts and lunges here and there, incorporating electric guitars, keyboards, timpani and shifting time signatures and tempos. Spin Staff, SPIN, 22 Apr. 2022 The Larghetto, for instance, was a marvel of technical and emotional craftsmanship, and by dipping so low in the Allegro, Tetzlaff left ample room for contrast and beautifully set up a fresh cadenza with timpani. Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 15 Apr. 2022 Then, as if out of nowhere, a big double chorus, accompanied by an orchestra with timpani thumping, announces a grand Hosanna that lasts no more than 45 seconds for a dazzling but startlingly perfunctory blessing. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2022 The pedal-less timpani, smaller than modern drums and struck with wooden mallets, thundered in the hall when played by Maury Baker. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2022 See More
Jim Ryan, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Peter Kozma conducted an ensemble that included period horns, trumpets and timpani. San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2022 Stagehands scurried around packing up cellos, basses, timpani, pianos and other equipment. New York Times, 1 Oct. 2021 Despite intriguing instrumentation — two harps, timpani, celeste and two clear oboes among a more typical amount of strings, horns and flutes — the overall effect is not deep, but a rich tapestry is not what Shankar is going for here. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 7 May 2022 Then the music darts and lunges here and there, incorporating electric guitars, keyboards, timpani and shifting time signatures and tempos. Spin Staff, SPIN, 22 Apr. 2022 The Larghetto, for instance, was a marvel of technical and emotional craftsmanship, and by dipping so low in the Allegro, Tetzlaff left ample room for contrast and beautifully set up a fresh cadenza with timpani. Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 15 Apr. 2022 Then, as if out of nowhere, a big double chorus, accompanied by an orchestra with timpani thumping, announces a grand Hosanna that lasts no more than 45 seconds for a dazzling but startlingly perfunctory blessing. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2022 The pedal-less timpani, smaller than modern drums and struck with wooden mallets, thundered in the hall when played by Maury Baker. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Italian, plural of timpano kettledrum, from Latin tympanum drum — more at tympanum
First Known Use
circa 1854, in the meaning defined above