drum

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɹʌm/

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ʌm

1535, back-formation from drumslade (“drummer”), from Middle Dutch trommelslach (“drumbeat”), from trommel (“drum”) + slach (“beat”) (Dutch slag).

Alternate etymology traces drum directly from Middle Dutch tromme (“drum”) or Middle Low German trumme (“drum”). Akin to Middle High German trumme, trumbe (“drum”), Old High German trumba (“trumpet”). More at trumpet.

drum (plural drums)

1. A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber, affecting what materials are used to make it; a membranophone.
2. Any similar hollow, cylindrical object.

   Replace the drum unit of your printer.

3. In particular, a barrel or large cylindrical container for liquid transport and storage.

   The restaurant ordered ketchup in 50-gallon drums.

4. (obsolete or historical) A social gathering or assembly held in the evening.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, page 631:

     Another misfortune which befel poor Sophia, was the company of Lord Fellamar, whom she met at the opera, and who attended her to the drum.

5. (architecture) The encircling wall that supports a dome or cupola
6. (architecture) Any of the cylindrical blocks that make up the shaft of a pillar
7. A drumfish (family Sciaenidae).
8. (slang, Britain) A person's home.
9. (Australia slang) A tip, a piece of information.
   • 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber 2003, page 258:

     ‘he is the darndest little speaker we got, so better sit there and listen to him while he gives you the drum and if you clean out your earholes you might get a bit of sense into your heads.’

• percussion

drum (third-person singular simple present drums, present participle drumming, simple past and past participle drummed)

1. (intransitive) To beat a drum.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To beat with a rapid succession of strokes.

   The ruffed grouse drums with his wings.

   • Washington Irving

     drumming with his fingers on the arm of his chair

3. (transitive) To drill or review in an attempt to establish memorization.

   He’s still trying to drum Spanish verb conjugations into my head.

4. To throb, as the heart.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)

5. To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc.; used with for.

Irish druim (“back”)

drum (plural drums)

1. A small hill or ridge of hills.

• Mainly encountered in place names, such as Drumglass and Drumsheugh.

• drum at OneLook Dictionary Search

• drumu

Borrowed from Greek δρόμος (drómos, “road, track”). Compare Romanian drum.

drum n (plural drumuri)

1. road

• cali, susachi

• cãrari

Borrowed from English drum.

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drum m (plural drums, diminutive drummetje n)

1. (music) drum

• trommel

• drumstel

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drum

1. Contraction of darum.

• drum in Duden online

Borrowed from Greek δρόμος (drómos, “road, track”).

drum n (plural drumuri)

1. road

• stradă
• cale
• cărare
• șosea

Language in Danger Andrew Dalby, 2003

• drum in DEX online - Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Borrowed from Greek δρόμος (drómos, “road, track”).

drȕm m (Cyrillic spelling дру̏м)

1. road