Trivia Time

When used in connection with a stringed instrument, the word thrum is an example of what?

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thrum

¹ American  

[thruhm] / θrʌm /

verb (used without object)

thrummed, thrumming

1. 

   to play on a stringed instrument, as a guitar, by plucking the strings, especially in an idle, monotonous, or unskillful manner; strum.

2. to sound when thrummed on, as a guitar or similar stringed instrument.

3. to drum or tap idly with the fingers.

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verb (used with object)

thrummed, thrumming

1. to play (a stringed instrument, or a melody on it) by plucking the strings, especially in an idle, monotonous, or unskillful manner; strum.

2. to drum or tap idly on.

3. to recite or tell in a monotonous way.

noun

1. an act or sound of thrumming; dull, monotonous sound.

thrum ² American  

[thruhm] / θrʌm /

noun

1. one of the ends of the warp threads in a loom, left unwoven and remaining attached to the loom when the web is cut off.

2. thrums, the row or fringe of such threads.

3. any short piece of waste thread or yarn; tuft, tassel, or fringe of threads, as at the edge of a piece of cloth.

4. Nautical. Often thrums short bits of rope yarn used for making mats.

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verb (used with object)

thrummed, thrumming

1. Nautical. to insert short pieces of rope yarn through (canvas) and thus give it a rough surface, as for wrapping about a part to prevent chafing.

2. to furnish or cover with thrums, ends of thread, or tufts.

thrum ¹ British  

/ θrʌm /

noun

1. 1. any of the unwoven ends of warp thread remaining on the loom when the web has been removed

   2. such ends of thread collectively

2. a fringe or tassel of short unwoven threads

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verb

1. (tr) to trim with thrums

thrum ² British  

/ θrʌm /

verb

1. to strum rhythmically but without expression on (a musical instrument)

2. (intr) to drum incessantly

   rain thrummed on the roof

3. to repeat (something) monotonously

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noun

1. a repetitive strumming or recitation

Other Word Forms

• thrummer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of thrum¹

First recorded in 1545–55; imitative

Origin of thrum²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun thrum, thrum(m)e, “end-piece (from the warp of a loom)”, Old English -thrum (in tungethrum “ligament of the tongue”), cognate with Old High German drum “end-piece”; akin to Old Norse thrǫmr “brim, edge, verge,” Latin terminus, Greek térma “end”

Explanation

When you make a rhythmic strumming sound, either with your voice or a stringed instrument, you thrum. If you and your friends all play the guitar, it may be fun sometimes to sit around and thrum together, improvising tunes. This word can also be used as a noun, to describe the kind of melodic hum that guitar strings make when you strum them. So you might say you found your way back to the campsite by following the thrum of your mom's mandolin, or that you love the thrum of rain on the metal roof of your grandparents' house. Thrum, like strum and hum, is imitative, mimicking the sound it describes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thrum thrummed thrumming

Critics fear deep-sea mining will cause irreversible damage, smothering marine life in plumes of waste and disrupting oceanic migrations with the thrum of heavy machinery.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Geopolitical gyrations, volatile short-term economic data and the incessant thrum of prediction markets all contribute to the cacophony,” to the point that many investors feel compelled to stick to the AI trade, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

You get a polite dotting of fruit, sure, but rarely that jammy, tart little thrum that only arrives when berries are given permission to fully collapse into themselves.

From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025

The industrious thrum of the heavy-duty sewing machines, along with the workers' chatter, normally fills the plant with a reassuring rhythm.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025

I listened to the deep thrum of the apple tree, which echoed my own heart.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

For decades, the city thrummed thanks to the burgeoning tech industry and became a plush playground for its ever-increasing number of workers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025

But the cynicism that has always thrummed underneath his high-concept comedies — the dehumanizing algorithms, the rapacious finance system — is more prominent in this slim, potent novel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2025

Their shantytown, nestled in the middle-class neighbourhood of Jodhpur Park, thrummed with life.

From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2024

Gaylen Hansen’s warm, wry humor — which has thrummed through his paintings for decades — comes across over the phone.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 12, 2023

But the possibility of a family now thrummed in his veins.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

While the car’s Mood Modes include an accompanying soundtrack of thrumming, guttering performance sounds, I was happy to turn it off and rejoice in the well-wrought, hard-won quiet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

The glitchy breakbeats and thrumming basslines of Ambiguous Desire are a major shift for the singer-songwriter - but they always feel authentic.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026

“Hello,” Grohl sang coolly over a bed of thrumming electric guitars, “I’ve waited here for you.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2026

In the 1970s, Black Sabbath prioritized gouging grooves, thrumming basslines and ponderous drums; they treated their albums like cohesive sonic statements.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2025

In that moment, with so much bitterness thrumming inside him, he needed this sweetness.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• croon
• moan
• mumble
• murmur
• purr
• sing
• strum
• throb
• trill
• warble
• whisper