tambour

[tam-boo r, tam-boo r] /ˈtæm bʊər, tæmˈbʊər/
noun
1.
Music. a drum.
2.
a drum player.
3.
Also called tabaret. a circular frame consisting of two hoops, one fitting within the other, in which cloth is stretched for embroidering.
4.
embroidery done on such a frame.
5.
Furniture. a flexible shutter used as a desk top or in place of a door, composed of a number of closely set wood strips attached to a piece of cloth, the whole sliding in grooves along the sides or at the top and bottom.
6.
Architecture, drum1 (def 10).
7.
Court Tennis. a sloping buttress opposite the penthouse, on the hazard side of the court.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
8.
to embroider on a tambour.
Origin
1475-85; < Middle French: drum ≪ Arabic tanbūr lute < Medieval Greek pandoúra; cf. bandore
Examples from the web for tambour
  • There are also tambour lace curtains and imported frilled, plain and figured net curtains.
  • He noticed the tambour, still intact, as he drove by.
British Dictionary definitions for tambour

tambour

/ˈtæmbʊə/
noun
1.
(real tennis) the sloping buttress on one side of the receiver's end of the court
2.
a small round embroidery frame, consisting of two concentric hoops over which the fabric is stretched while being worked
3.
embroidered work done on such a frame
4.
a sliding door on desks, cabinets, etc, made of thin strips of wood glued side by side onto a canvas backing
5.
(architect) a wall that is circular in plan, esp one that supports a dome or one that is surrounded by a colonnade
6.
a drum
verb
7.
to embroider (fabric or a design) on a tambour
Word Origin
C15: from French, from tabourtabor
Encyclopedia Article for tambour

embroidery worked on material that has been stretched taut on a tambour frame, which consists of two wooden hoops, one slightly larger than the other, fitting close together. The embroidery is worked with a needle or a tambour hook. When an expanse of material has to be covered that is too large for a fixed square frame, it is possible to do the work in stages on a tambour frame, stretching different portions of the material at a time. The frame is portable and suitable for carrying work around. Early examples of tambour work come from China, India, Persia, and Turkey. It was popular in Europe and the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Learn more about tambour with a free trial on Britannica.com