kettledrum

[ ket-l-druhm ]
See synonyms for kettledrum on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a drum consisting of a hollow hemisphere of brass, copper, or fiberglass over which is stretched a skin, the tension of which can be modified by hand screws or foot pedals to vary the pitch.

Origin of kettledrum

1
First recorded in 1595–1605; kettle + drum1

Other words from kettledrum

  • ket·tle·drum·mer, noun

Words Nearby kettledrum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use kettledrum in a sentence

  • The carpenter sat beside him with a kettledrum, more literally a kettledrum even than the real thing, for that drum was a kettle!

    The Wild Man of the West | R.M. Ballantyne
  • Dicky Wyatt writes, in answer to Helvellyn, that the word "kettledrum" means a large social party.

    Little Folks | Various
  • It was about a fine kettledrum all tasselled in royal fashion, with gold and silver, that Ibrahim's father had given him.

    The Adventures of Akbar | Flora Annie Steel
  • The names given during the middle ages to the kettledrum are derived from the East.

  • Said the slave-girl: “The large kettledrum sounds so sad to-day; some misfortune must surely have happened to the kettledrummer!”

British Dictionary definitions for kettledrum

kettledrum

/ (ˈkɛtəlˌdrʌm) /


noun
  1. a percussion instrument of definite pitch, consisting of a hollow bowl-like hemisphere covered with a skin or membrane, supported on a tripod or stand. The pitch may be adjusted by means of screws or pedals, which alter the tension of the skin

Derived forms of kettledrum

  • kettledrummer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for kettledrum

kettledrum

A drum consisting of a skin stretched over a large shell in the shape of a half-sphere. The pitch of the kettledrum can be changed by manipulating screws at the edge of the skin or pedals at the bottom of the drum. Kettledrums are usually used in classical music in sets of two or more and are known by their Italian name, timpani.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.