drummer

American  

[druhm-er] / ˈdrʌm ər /

noun

1. a person who plays a drum.

2. a commercial traveler or traveling sales representative.

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idioms

1. march to a different drummer, to be motivated by a different set of values than the average person.

drummer British  

/ ˈdrʌmə /

noun

1. a person who plays a drum or set of drums

2. a salesman, esp a travelling salesman

3. slang the slowest shearer in a team

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drummer More Idioms  

1. see march to a different beat (drummer).

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Etymology

Origin of drummer

First recorded in 1565–75; drum ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

A drummer is a musician who plays the drums. The drummer in a rock band might play a huge set of many different drums and other percussion instruments. A professional drummer could play in a marching band, a classical symphony, or a country and western group. A casual drummer can be someone who taps on the bongoes in a city park or takes drumming lessons and practices in her basement. The word drummer comes from drum, which has a Germanic, imitative root — it's a word that sounds like its meaning.

Example Sentences

The only other drummer I know that does that is Jim Keltner.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Yet this was hardly Peterson’s only virtue: Live recordings, especially of his greatest trio, with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, show that Peterson could also swing harder than anybody.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

“Let There Be Love” finds the drummer using his hands on his tom-toms to make them sound like congas, giving the track an Erroll Garner flavor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

The York supporters were still singing, their drummer still drumming.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

All the men looked over at the drummer.

From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis