Link Centre Dictionary

drum

UK/ˈdɹʌm/ US/ˈdɹʊm/ common informal slang uk us
noun (6) verb (3)

noun

1.
2.

the sound of a drum

  • “he could hear the drums before he heard the fifes”
3.

a bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends

Synonyms
4.

a cylindrical metal container used for shipping or storage of liquids

Synonyms
5.

a hollow cast-iron cylinder attached to the wheel that forms part of the brakes

Synonyms
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

  • “Rain drummed against the windshield”
  • “The drums beat all night”
Synonyms
2.
3.

study intensively, as before an exam

  • “I had to bone up on my Latin verbs before the final exam”
Synonyms

Origin

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.

Phrases

  • bang on the drum
  • bang the drum
  • bang the drum for
  • barrel drum
  • bass drum
  • beat like a jungle drum
  • beat the drum
  • beat the drum for
  • drum into
  • drum out
  • drum up

Related words

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Broader terms

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Part of

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.