snare drum

American  

noun

1. a small double-headed drum, carried at the side or placed on a stationary stand, having snares across the lower head to produce a rattling or reverberating effect.

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snare drum British  

noun

1. music a cylindrical drum with two drumheads, the upper of which is struck and the lower fitted with a snare See snare 2

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snare drum Cultural  

1. A shallow cylindrical drum, with wires or pieces of catgut (snares) stretched across the bottom skin to give a sharp, rattling sound when the top skin is struck. Snare drums are used in orchestras and in nearly all kinds of bands.

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Etymology

Origin of snare drum

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Also percussive yet much quieter is Anri Sala’s snare drum, dangling upside down from the ceiling at Esther Schipper.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

On Everybody's Trying To Figure Me Out, she even tuned her snare drum to match the "iconic" thwack of U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025

He also enjoys reading, ping-pong and badminton, and he plays the snare drum in his middle school band.

From New York Times • May 30, 2024

The most notorious of these is the entrance of the cartoony-yet-vicious Mouse King — and an accompanying snare drum hit that can be a loud surprise even for grown-ups.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 1, 2023

Dad’s snare drum from the house, Henry’s guitar from his car, Adam’s spare guitar from my room.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman