drumhead court-martial

noun

1. a court-martial held, usually on a battlefield, for the summary trial of charges of offenses committed during military operations.

drumhead court-martial

noun

1. a military court convened to hear urgent charges of offences committed in action

Word History and Origins

Origin of drumhead court-martial¹

First recorded in 1825–35; so called from the use of a drumhead as a table during the court-martial

Word History and Origins

Origin of drumhead court-martial¹

C19: from the use of a drumhead as a table around which the court-martial was held