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Definition of "drum" []

  • A percussion instrument consisting of a hollow cylinder or hemisphere with a membrane stretched tightly over one or both ends, played by beating with the hands or sticks. (noun)
  • A sound produced by this instrument. (noun)
  • Something resembling a drum in shape or structure, especially a barrellike metal container or a metal cylinder wound with cable, wire, or heavy rope. (noun)
  • Architecture A circular or polygonal wall supporting a dome or cupola. Also called tambour. (noun)
  • Architecture Any of the cylindrical stone blocks that are stacked to form the shaft of a column. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "drum" in a sentence
  • "That is what I call drum roll, please, the ethic of identity."
  • "The kit comes with the only tool you need, which is what they call a drum key."
  • "The drum is graduated for the complete radius — ­ which took some tall figuring, I assure you — ­and the cable, winding around the drum and shortening, draws the tractor in toward the center."