noun
-
a stick used for playing a drum
-
the lower joint of the leg of a cooked fowl
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of drumstick
Compare meaning
How does drumstick compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Vocabulary lists containing drumstick
Musical Instruments - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Musical Instruments - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Musical Instruments - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Her first hit item was a baby rattle shaped like a chicken drumstick that was sold wrapped in cellophane, much like a meat-counter purchase.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Much like that final drumstick you probably shouldn’t have eaten, equities spent last week digesting their gains.
From Barron's ● Dec. 7, 2025
The researchers found that in birds, the tibial joint surfaces have curved arcs, and the shortened fibula is able to roll within the bird's drumstick for about its length relative to the tibia.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024
"Remember Burkes," I said while tearing into a drumstick, "I would be satisfied if I had some of those . . ."
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2024
She took a bite of a drumstick and then used a paper towel to squash a roach that had crawled out hoping to get at some of her dinner.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
![]()
A liter of milk costs 1,600 pesos, she said, and one small package of chicken drumsticks is 2,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026
“Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth, appearing alongside his wife, is asked whether he prefers drumsticks, flats, or boneless wings.
From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2025
As she sat out the quarter-final win over Scotland with concussion, Kildunne was one of those to enthusiastically take up the drumsticks.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2025
Ruffin told me he’s been holding onto a pair of Ayers’ drumsticks for years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2025
The previous year my mother had been promoted into a clean section, where she worked cutting drumsticks and thighs off the bodies of the chickens.
From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.