tambourine

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A percussion instrument consisting of a small drumhead with jingling disks fitted into the rim, usually played by shaking and striking with the hand.
2. n. A similar instrument without a drumhead.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A parchment-covered racket, resembling a battledore, with which the ball is thrown in the game of tamburello (which see).
2. n. A small drum formed of a ring or hoop of wood or sometimes of metal, over which is stretched a single head of parchment. The hoop carries several pairs of loose metal disks called jingles. The instrument is played either by shaking, or by striking with the hand or arm, or by drawing the finger across the head (or each in alternation). It is of Oriental origin, and is very common in Spain, whence it is often called tambour de Basque. See cut in next column.
3. n. A long narrow drum or tabor used in Provence; also, a bottle-shaped drum used in Egypt.
4. n. A Provençal dance originally executed to the sound of tabor and pipe, with or without singing.
5. n. Music for such a dance, in duple rhythm and quick tempo, and usually accompanied by a drone bass of a single tone, as the tonic or the dominant, as if played by rubbing the finger across a tambourine.
6. n. A remarkable pigeon of Africa, Tympanistria bicolor. See cut under Tympanistria.

Wiktionary

1. n. A percussion instrument consisting of a small, usually wooden, hoop closed on one side with a drum frame and featuring jingling metal disks on the tread; it is usually held in the hand and shaken rhythmically.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A small drum, especially a shallow drum with only one skin, played on with the hand, and having bells at the sides; a timbrel.
2. n. A South American wild dove (Tympanistria tympanistria), mostly white, with black-tiped wings and tail. Its resonant note is said to be ventriloquous.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a shallow drum with a single drumhead and with metallic disks in the sides