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Added 9 October 2026

drum

/ˈdɹʌm/ noun

In Latin: tympanum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about drum at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.
He's playing the piano and she's playing the drums!
Any similar hollow, cylindrical object.
Replace the drum unit of your printer.
A barrel or large cylindrical container for liquid transport and storage.
The restaurant ordered ketchup in 50-gallon drums.

verb

To beat a drum.
To beat with a rapid succession of strokes.
The ruffed grouse drums with his wings.
To drill or review in an attempt to establish memorization.
He’s still trying to drum Spanish verb conjugations into my head.

noun

A small hill or ridge of hills.

noun

A social gathering or assembly held in the evening. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
A person's home; a house or other building, especially when insalubrious; a tavern, a brothel.

Origin

Perhaps back-formation from drumslade (“drummer”), from Middle Dutch trommelslach (“drumbeat”), from trommel (“drum”) + slach (“beat”) (Dutch slag). Or perhaps borrowed directly from a continental Germanic language; compare Middle Dutch tromme (“drum”), Middle Low German trumme (“drum”) et al. Compare also Middle High German trumme, trumbe (“drum”), Old High German trumba (“trumpet”). Compare Ancient Greek τῠ́μπᾰνον (tŭ́mpănon, “kettledrum”) whence Modern English timbre.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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