drum
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drum¹
- /ˈdɹʌm/
- /ˈdɹʊm/ Northern England
Rhymes with -ʌm
Where it comes from
Perhaps back-formation from drumslade (“drummer”), from Middle Dutch trommelslach (“drumbeat”), from trommel (“drum”) + slach (“beat”) (Dutch slag).
Or perhaps borrowed directly from a continental Germanic language; compare Middle Dutch tromme (“drum”), Middle Low German trumme (“drum”) et al. Compare also Middle High German trumme, trumbe (“drum”), Old High German trumba (“trumpet”). Compare Ancient Greek τῠ́μπᾰνον (tŭ́mpănon, “kettledrum”) whence Modern English timbre.
noun drums
-
A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.
He's playing the piano and she's playing the drums!
Similar: skins
- Any similar hollow, cylindrical object. Replace the drum unit of your printer.
- A barrel or large cylindrical container for liquid transport and storage. The restaurant ordered ketchup in 50-gallon drums.
-
Synonym of construction barrel.
Similar: construction barrel
- The encircling wall that supports a dome or cupola.
- Any of the cylindrical blocks that make up the shaft of a pillar.
- A drumfish (family Sciaenidae).
- A tip; a piece of information. ‘he is the darndest little speaker we got, so better sit there and listen to him while he gives you the drum and if you clean out your earholes you might get a bit of sense into your heads.’
- The ear.
verb drums · drumming · drummed
- To beat a drum.
- To beat with a rapid succession of strokes. The ruffed grouse drums with his wings.
- To drill or review in an attempt to establish memorization. He’s still trying to drum Spanish verb conjugations into my head.
- To throb, as the heart. Now, heart, […]thou shalt drum no more.
- To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc.; used with for.
- Of various animals, to make a vocalisation or mechanical sound that resembles drumming. "There is the snipe drumming also. We shall have it fine!" he added, with an air of conviction.
drum²
- /ˈdɹʌm/
- /ˈdɹʊm/ Northern England
Rhymes with -ʌm
Where it comes from
From Irish druim, Scottish Gaelic druim (“back, ridge”).
noun drums
- A small hill or ridge of hills.
drum³
- /ˈdɹʌm/
- /ˈdɹʊm/ Northern England
Rhymes with -ʌm
Where it comes from
Unknown.
noun drums
- A social gathering or assembly held in the evening. Another misfortune which befel poor Sophia, was the company of Lord Fellamar, whom she met at the opera, and who attended her to the drum.
- A person's home; a house or other building, especially when insalubrious; a tavern, a brothel.
drum⁴
- /ˈdɹʌm/
- /ˈdɹʊm/ Northern England
Rhymes with -ʌm
Where it comes from
Shortening.
noun drums
- A drumstick (of chicken, turkey, etc). Add, thinly sliced, 1/2 to 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic also sliced, your choice of protein – chicken or turkey breast, or low fat beef, veal, lamb or pork, cut in pieces, or skinless chicken drums, and probably a little water. Then add 1/2 a cup of ...
Drum⁵
Where it comes from
* As an Irish surname, from Droma, a personal name from druim (“ridge”)
* As a Scottish Gaelic surname, from druim (“ridge”)
* As a German surname, from Middle High German trum and Middle Low German drum (“woodblock”), both probably from Proto-Germanic *trumaz.
proper noun Drums
- A surname.
- A settlement (Mains of Drum) in Aberdeenshire council area, Scotland, near Drum Castle (OS grid ref NO8099).
- A mountain in Conwy borough, Wales (OS grid ref SH7069).
- A village in County Monaghan, Ireland.
- A civil parish and townland in County Roscommon, Ireland.
- An unincorporated community in Bollinger County, Missouri, USA, named after the Drum family.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: membranophone, tympan, swot, bone up, mug up, thrum, get up, cram, beat, brake drum, barrel, bone, drumfish, grind away, metal drum, swot up
Translations
Every language
noun musical instrument
| Español | tambor |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 북 buk, 드럼 deureom |
| 日本語 | 鼓 tsuzumi, 太鼓 taiko, ドラム doramu |
| 中文 | 鼓 gǔ, 堂鼓 tánggǔ |
| हिन्दी | ड्रम ḍram, ढोल ḍhol |
| Kiswahili | ngoma |
| Português | tambor |
| Français | tambour, batterie |
| Deutsch | Trommel |
| Italiano | batteria, tamburo |
| Ελληνικά | τύμπανο týmpano |
| Română | tobă |
| Русский | бараба́н barabán, бу́бен búben |
| Tiếng Việt | trống |
| العربية | طَبْل ṭabl |
| עברית | תוף \ תֹּף tof |
noun hollow, cylindrical object
| Español | tambor, cilindro |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | ngoma |
| Português | tambor |
| Français | tambour, cylindre |
| Deutsch | Trommel |
| Italiano | bidone |
| Ελληνικά | τύμπανο týmpano |
| Русский | бараба́н barabán |
| العربية | طَبْلَة ṭabla |
noun barrel etc. for liquid
| Español | barril, bidón |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | ngoma |
| Português | barril |
| Français | tonneau, baril, bidon |
| Deutsch | Fass |
| Italiano | bidone |
| Ελληνικά | βαρέλι varéli |
| Русский | бо́чка bóčka |
verb to beat a drum
| Kiswahili | ngoma |
|---|---|
| Português | batucar |
| Deutsch | trommeln |
| Ελληνικά | τυμπανίζω tympanízo |
| Русский | бить в бараба́н bitʹ v barabán |
| עברית | תּוֹפֵף toféf |
verb to beat with a rapid succession of strokes
| Español | tamborear |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | ngoma |
| Português | batucar |
| Deutsch | trommeln |
| Русский | бараба́нить barabánitʹ |
Talk about this word "drum." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/drum. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. drum. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/drum "drum." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/drum.Cite this
@misc{drum_2026,
title = {drum},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/drum},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
