Drum Definition
drŭm
drummed, drumming, drums
noun
drums
Something resembling a drum in shape or structure, especially a barrellike metal container or a metal cylinder wound with cable, wire, or heavy rope.
American Heritage
Any of various drumlike cylindrical objects.
Webster's New World
Any of a family (Sciaenidae) of marine and freshwater percoid fishes that make a drumming sound.
Webster's New World
The eardrum.
American Heritage Medicine
The sound produced by beating a drum, or any sound like this.
Webster's New World
verb
drummed, drumming, drums
To beat a drum.
Webster's New World
To beat or tap continually.
Webster's New World
To beat or tap continually or rhythmically, as with the fingers.
Webster's New World
To play (a tune, rhythm, etc.) on or as on a drum.
Webster's New World
To make a loud, reverberating sound by quivering the wings.
Webster's New World
idiom
beat the drum for
- to seek to arouse interest in or enthusiasm for
Webster's New World
drum out of
- to expel from (the army) with drums beating
- to expel from in disgrace
Webster's New World
drum up
- to summon by or as by beating a drum
- to get (business, etc.) by soliciting
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Drum
- beat the drum for
- drum out of
- drum up
Origin of Drum
-
Alternate etymology traces drum directly from Middle Dutch tromme (“drum”) or Middle Low German trumme (“drum”). Akin to Middle High German trumme, trumbe (“drum”), Old High German trumba (“trumpet”). More at trumpet.
From Wiktionary
-
1535, back-formation from drumslade (“drummer”) from Middle Dutch trommelslach (“drumbeat”), from trommel (“drum”) + slach (“beat”) (Dutch slag).
From Wiktionary
Middle English drom probably alteration of Middle Dutch tromme probably of imitative origin
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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