Tam-tam

(tăm'tăm,) or GONG. [ Hind.] A kind of sonorous cymbal of Chinese or Japanese origin. It consists of a flat cylinder made of a very brittle alloy of copper and tin, with a rim of abt. 4 inches. When beaten upon with a wooden mallet, it sends forth a peculiarly loud and ear-deafening sound, owing to the extraordinary vibrations imparted to its surface by the act of striking. [s. 877]