snare drum

American  

noun

• snare drums
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• snare drums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of snare drum

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snare drum

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

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

Hideg set up his snare drum in the company of pianist Cengiz Yaltkaya, alto saxophonist Jay Golden and guitarist Leo Vaz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2023

Artemis’s heart thumped like a snare drum in his chest.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer