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“Cymbal” or “Symbol”

cymbal / symbol are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

cymbal s·IH·m·b·ah·l

  • nouna percussion instrument consisting of a concave brass disk; makes a loud crashing sound when hit with a drumstick or when two are struck together.

symbol s·IH·m·b·ah·l

  • nounan arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance.
  • nounsomething visible that by association or convention represents something else that is invisible.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“cymbal”

  • Splash cymbal piggybacking, mounting a cymbal on…
  • …large bass drum) with a cymbal on top.
  • Primate of 1975: Cymbal monkey
  • …acoustic piano (4), hi-hat (4), cymbal (4)
  • …from animal hide, with a cymbal on top.
  • …metallic percussion instrument, like a cymbal, but much larger in diameter,…
  • …Lennon and McCartney playing a cymbal with drumsticks
  • …unison male voices, 2 clarinets, cymbal, piano (2004)
  • …choppy beats with hand-clappy percussion, cymbal crashes, and itchy hi-hats, creating…
  • …kit, leaving no tom or cymbal feeling lonely.

“symbol”

  • …and its light as a symbol of divine inspiration.
  • …the figure and the currency symbol).
  • …continually traces an X, the symbol of silence in Lémabantunk, which…
  • …replace with a new landmark symbol and tower.
  • …lady and as an abstract symbol of female sexuality.
  • …nation’s westward expansion as a symbol of its providence as a…
  • …coordinates is indicated by the symbol after the semicolon.
  • The chemical symbol for calcium oxide
  • …which had since become a symbol of Yemeni resentment of the…
  • …complained that using a Christian symbol to attract tourism "reeks of…

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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