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Glite Dictionary
🎤 Vocal rhythm art 🎤 To make mouth beats 🧑‍🎤 A vocal drummer
beatbox

beatbox

2 6.0
The practice of making drum and rhythm sounds using only the mouth and voice
  • noun
  • /ˈbiːtbɑːks/
: beatbox
  • I have my keyboard, my guitar, my loop station, beatbox vocals, different sound effects, and the classic trumpet sound.

Examples

  • - Whoo! - (laughs) - ♪♪ (beatbox continues) - Ow!

    Jem and the Holograms (2015)

  • We're getting the beatboxing out in here.

  • Or maybe I love me some beatboxing, but I want to be wowed, man.

  • Shout out to beatboxing legend Chesney Snow and of course, Fat Boy SSE.

  • In our music class, we learned how to beatbox by making different rhythmic sounds with our voices.

  • The performer amazed the audience with his ability to beatbox various intricate rhythms.

  • At the talent show, her beatbox routine captivated everyone with its creative sounds and beats.

Surface Forms

beatbox singular
beatboxes plural

Morphology

beatbox = beat + box (semi-transparent) = beat + box

The noun for the art/practice is formed from 'beat' + 'box' by compounding; the metaphorical extension of 'box' to mean a sound-producing device or technique reduces full predictability.

Etymology

Beatbox is made from beat ('rhythm') and box ('machine'), a helpful way to remember that this art is about making drum-machine sounds with your mouth. So beatbox means the practice of creating rhythms and percussion effects using only your voice.