drum — English Dictionary

drum
Pronunciations (2)
  • /ˈdɹʌm/
  • /ˈdɹʊm/
    Pronunciation notes
    • Northern-England

Noun

  1. A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.

    Examples

    He's playing the piano and she's playing the drums!

    More examples (1)

    In the Province of Xenſi, near the City Vucung, is a Hill called Taipe, which if a Drum be beaten upon it, preſently followeth Thunder, Lightning, and ſtormy weather, inſomuch that the Magiſtrates have forbidden all perſons upon pain of death to beat any Drum there.

    The group played huge drums placed overhead, along with flutes and a kotolike zither.

  2. Any similar hollow, cylindrical object.

    Examples

    Replace the drum unit of your printer.

  3. A barrel or large cylindrical container for liquid transport and storage.

    Examples

    The restaurant ordered ketchup in 50-gallon drums.

  4. Synonym of construction barrel.

    Usage
    • US usage
  5. The encircling wall that supports a dome or cupola.

  6. Any of the cylindrical blocks that make up the shaft of a pillar.

  7. A drumfish (family Sciaenidae).

  8. A tip; a piece of information.

    Usage
    • Australia
    • Slang
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    ‘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.’

  9. The ear.

    Usage
    • Obsolete
    • Slang

Verb

  1. To beat a drum.

    Usage
    • Intransitive
  2. To beat with a rapid succession of strokes.

    Usage
    • Transitive or intransitive
    Examples

    The ruffed grouse drums with his wings.

    drumming with his fingers on the arm of his chair

  3. To drill or review in an attempt to establish memorization.

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Examples

    He’s still trying to drum Spanish verb conjugations into my head.

    Those long ago memories of gnawing sexuality clashing against drummed in prejudice.

  4. To throb, as the heart.

    Examples

    Now, heart, […]thou shalt drum no more.

  5. To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc.; used with for.

  6. Of various animals, to make a vocalisation or mechanical sound that resembles drumming.

    Examples

    "There is the snipe drumming also. We shall have it fine!" he added, with an air of conviction.

Noun

  1. A small hill or ridge of hills.

    Usage
    • Archaic

Noun

  1. A social gathering or assembly held in the evening.

    Usage
    • Historical
    Examples

    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.

    [H]e was engaged in a partie of cards, at a drum in the house of a certain lady of quality […].

    More examples (1)

    'Ten o'clock, and you are lighted as for a drum!

  2. A person's home; a house or other building, especially when insalubrious; a tavern, a brothel.

    Usage
    • UK usage
    • Slang

Noun

  1. A drumstick (of chicken, turkey, etc).

    Usage
    • Informal
    Examples
    More examples (2)

    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 ...

    In a large frying pan, add some canola oil and half of the chicken drums and brown them on both sides. Repeat the procedure until all drums are browned. Place them in a medium baking pan. To the browned chicken drums, add sliced onion, ...

    3–5 pounds chicken drums and thighs, with skin Hot sauce to taste 1. In a gallon resealable plastic bag, add flour, pepper, and salt. Shake to mix. […]

    More examples (1)

    Up top, a pained expression, her eating face. My mom doesn't eat for taste, she does it to stay alive. Probably wouldn't eat if she didn't have to. I grab a new chopstick and when I get back there's a chicken drum on my plate. “Thanks, Ba,” I say.

    To stir the whole, he used a chicken drum.

    More examples (1)

    When noon came the next day, the two guards came in with a plate of […] chicken drums and pork braised in soy sauce, plus some vegetables.

Noun

  1. a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end

  2. the sound of a drum

    Broader terms
    Examples

    he could hear the drums before he heard the fifes

  3. a bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends

    Synonyms
    Broader terms
  4. a cylindrical metal container, commonly used for shipping or storage of liquids

    Synonyms
    Broader terms
  5. a hollow cast iron cylinder attached to the wheel that forms part of the brakes

    Synonyms
    Broader terms
  6. small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling food and game fishes of shallow coastal and fresh waters that make a drumming noise

    Synonyms

Verb

  1. make a rhythmic sound

    Synonyms
    Broader terms
    Examples

    Rain drummed against the windshield

    He drummed his fingers on the table

  2. play a percussion instrument

    Broader terms
  3. study intensively, as before an exam

    Broader terms
    Examples

    I had to bone up on my Latin verbs before the final exam

Word forms
drumsdrumsdrummingdrummeddrummed

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