drum

¹ American  

[druhm] / drʌm /

noun

• drums,
  plural
• drum
  plural

1. a musical percussion instrument consisting of a hollow, usually cylindrical, body covered at one or both ends with a tightly stretched membrane, or head, which is struck with the hand, a stick, or a pair of sticks, and typically produces a booming, tapping, or hollow sound.

2. any hollow tree or similar object or device used in this way.

3. the sound produced by such an instrument, object, or device.

4. any rumbling or deep booming sound.

5. a natural organ by which an animal produces a loud or bass sound.

6. eardrum.

7. any cylindrical object with flat ends.

8. a cylindrical part of a machine.

9. a cylindrical box or receptacle, especially a large, metal one for storing or transporting liquids.

10. Also called tambour.  Architecture.

    1. any of several cylindrical or nearly cylindrical stones laid one above the other to form a column or pier.

    2. a cylindrical or faceted construction supporting a dome.

11. Ichthyology. any of several marine and freshwater fishes of the family Sciaenidae that produce a drumming sound.

12. Also called drum memory.  Computers. magnetic drum.

13. Archaic. an assembly of fashionable people at a private house in the evening.

14. a person who plays the drum.

15. Australian Informal. reliable, confidential, or profitable information.

    to give someone the drum.

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verb (used without object)

• drums,
  present (3rd person singular)
• drummed,
  past participle,  past
• drumming
  present participle

1. to beat or play a drum.

2. to beat on anything rhythmically, especially to tap one's fingers rhythmically on a hard surface.

3. to make a sound like that of a drum; resound.

4. (of ruffed grouse and other birds) to produce a sound resembling drumming.

verb (used with object)

• drums,
  present (3rd person singular)
• drummed,
  past participle,  past
• drumming
  present participle

1. to beat (a drum) rhythmically; perform by beating a drum.

   to drum a rhythm for dancers.

2. to call or summon by, or as if by, beating a drum.

3. to drive or force by persistent repetition.

   to drum an idea into someone.

4. to fill a drum with; store in a drum.

   to drum contaminated water and dispose of it.

verb phrase

1. drum up

   1. to call or summon by, or as if by, beating a drum.

   2. to obtain or create (customers, trade, interest, etc.) through vigorous effort.

      They were unable to drum up enthusiasm for the new policies.

   3. to concoct; devise.

      to drum up new methods of dealing with urban crime.

2. drum out

   1. (formerly) to expel or dismiss from a military service in disgrace to the beat of a drum.

   2. to dismiss in disgrace.

      He was drummed out of the university for his gambling activities.

idioms

1. beat the drum, to promote, publicize, or advertise.

   The boss is out beating the drum for a new product.

drum ² American  

[druhm] / drʌm /

noun

Scot., Irish English.

1. a long, narrow hill or ridge.

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drum ¹ British  

/ drʌm /

noun

1. music a percussion instrument sounded by striking a membrane stretched across the opening of a hollow cylinder or hemisphere

2. informal to attempt to arouse interest in

3. the sound produced by a drum or any similar sound

4. an object that resembles a drum in shape, such as a large spool or a cylindrical container

5. architect

   1. one of a number of cylindrical blocks of stone used to construct the shaft of a column

   2. the wall or structure supporting a dome or cupola

6. short for eardrum

7. Also called: drumfish.  any of various North American marine and freshwater sciaenid fishes, such as Equetus pulcher ( striped drum ), that utter a drumming sound

8. a type of hollow rotor for steam turbines or axial compressors

9. computing a rotating cylindrical device on which data may be stored for later retrieval: now mostly superseded by disks See disk

10. archaic a drummer

11. informal the necessary information (esp in the phrase give ( someone ) the drum )

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verb

1. to play (music) on or as if on a drum

2. to beat or tap (the fingers) rhythmically or regularly

3. (intr) (of birds) to produce a rhythmic sound, as by beating the bill against a tree, branch, etc

4. to summon or call by drumming

5. (tr) to instil by constant repetition

   to drum an idea into someone's head

drum ² British  

/ drʌm /

noun

1. a narrow ridge or hill

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underdrumming
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• drum
  plural
• drums
  plural

Participles

• drumming
  present
• drummed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• drum
  simple
• drums
  simple
• have drummed
  perfect
• has drummed
  perfect
• am drumming
  progressive
• are drumming
  progressive
• is drumming
  progressive
• have been drumming
  perfect progressive
• has been drumming
  perfect progressive

Past

• drummed
  simple
• had drummed
  perfect
• was drumming
  progressive
• were drumming
  progressive
• had been drumming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will drum
  simple
• will have drummed
  perfect
• will be drumming
  progressive
• will have been drumming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of drum¹

First recorded in 1535–45; of uncertain origin; probably a back formation from drumslade “drum, drummer,” alteration of Dutch or Low German trommelslag “drumbeat,” equivalent to trommel “drum” + slag “a beat”; cognate with slay

Origin of drum²

First recorded in 1725–35; from Irish and Scots Gaelic druim, of unknown origin

Explanation

A drum is a musical instrument that you play by hitting it rhythmically with a stick or your hand. Most drums are round, with a thin material stretched tightly over the ends. Some drums, like the West African djembe, are played with bare hands by a drummer who plays just one drum at a time. Others are found in a drum kit, often part of a rock band or a jazz ensemble, which might include a bass drum, a snare drum, cymbals, and a tom-tom — or even more. The word drum is also a verb, meaning "to play a drum," and can also mean "a cylinder-shaped container."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drum drums drummed drumming

“Shake Your Money Maker” was very straight — click tracks to put the drum track together, now play the bass over that, blah blah blah.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

The following track, “Death Wish,” is about the torment of a new love gone bad, and it unfolds over plucked acoustic guitars and a distant bass drum that sounds like a heartbeat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Peston had remembered visiting Balls in the 1990s in Yorkshire and seeing a drum kit, leading him to assume he could play.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

United Airlines continues to drum up more ways to jazz up economy-class and boost revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Four rats lay dead near the wall, and Killconey’s drum stood unattended in the road.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Then he and and lead vocalist Brad Delp refined six songs, playing all the instruments except the drums with Delp handling the vocals, and sent out a new tape.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

In January Takaichi and President Lee Jae Myung jammed on the drums together, while Koizumi played ping-pong with his counterpart.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

The quakes hit as La Guaira was marking the feast of San Juan, an annual celebration featuring the ritual beating of drums.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

In December 2024, Mr. Lloyd lost another treasured collaborator, Zakir Hussain—his generation’s acknowledged master of tabla, the paired hand drums that are elemental to Indian music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Micah drums his fingertips on his lunch bag.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

"Love Story" drummed up controversy -- and viewers -- with its revisiting of the A-list couple's courtship and untimely deaths, but it only earned six nominations.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Even without the adrenaline of a packed room, he drummed up a bidding war and ultimately sold Francis Bacon’s “Triptych Inspired by the Oresteia of Aeschylus” for $85 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025

Builders have also amped up marketing and drummed up discounts to make newly built homes more attractive.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2025

Naroditsky's channel had nearly 500,000 subscribers, while his Twitch stream drummed up 340,000 followers.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2025

I opened my eyes, and the pounding ache drummed deeper.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz

Sometimes I practice — not practicing to get my rudiments up for drumming — but just because I enjoy drumming so much.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

"Freedom Suite," led by Rollins' confident sax and also notable for Max Roach's drumming, proved controversial enough that a reissue chose another title for the album.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

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

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

Tedesco dedicates nearly every moment of his trips to maintaining or drumming up business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

I tried them all, but the sound was not the same, and the joy went out of drumming.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• strum