tom-tom

American  

[tom-tom] / ˈtɒmˌtɒm /

noun

1. a drum of American Indian or Asian origin, commonly played with the hands.

2. a dully repetitious drumbeat or similar sound.

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tom-tom British  

noun

1. a drum associated either with the American Indians or with Eastern cultures, usually beaten with the hands as a signalling instrument

2. a standard cylindrical drum, normally with one drumhead

3. a monotonous drumming or beating sound

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verb

1. informal  (tr) to pass (information, esp gossip) around a community very quickly

Etymology

Origin of tom-tom

First recorded in 1685–95, tom-tom is from the Hindi word ṭamṭam

Example Sentences

So the repeating tom-tom pulse in “No Reply,” when paired with his half-spoken delivery, brings to mind a digital grid mapped to an atomic clock where every element is locked into place.

From The Wall Street Journal

It includes “On Lamp,” an undulating, not-quite-ambient piece that threads a wandering, slow-motion melody through a stereo dialogue of acoustic guitars and subdued tom-tom syncopations, like a glimpse of a distant caravan.

From New York Times

Try to imagine the Beatles' "Come Together" without Ringo's innovative tom-tom roll.

From Salon

He drew maximum sound from a minimal drum kit, consisting of one snare, a bass drum, two tom-toms, four cymbals and a high hat.

From Washington Post

His avant-garde leanings didn’t begin in the mid-70s, though; earlier, he had invented the Breath-a-Tone, which connects plastic tubes to a tom-tom.

From New York Times