meaning of drum
1. An instrument of percussion, consisting either of a hollow cylinder, over each end of which is stretched a piece of skin or vellum, to be beaten with a stick; or of a metallic hemisphere (kettledrum) with a single piece of skin to be so beaten; the common instrument for marking time in martial music; one of the pair of tympani in an orchestra, or cavalry band.
2. Anything resembling a drum in form
3. A sheet iron radiator, often in the shape of a drum, for warming an apartment by means of heat received from a stovepipe, or a cylindrical receiver for steam, etc.
4. A small cylindrical box in which figs, etc. , are packed.
5. The tympanum of the ear; -- often, but incorrectly, applied to the tympanic membrane.
6. One of the cylindrical, or nearly cylindrical, blocks, of which the shaft of a column is composed; also, a vertical wall, whether circular or polygonal in plan, carrying a cupola or dome.
7. A cylinder on a revolving shaft, generally for the purpose of driving several pulleys, by means of belts or straps passing around its periphery; also, the barrel of a hoisting machine, on which the rope or chain is wound.
8. See Drumfish.
9. A noisy, tumultuous assembly of fashionable people at a private house; a rout.
10. A tea party; a kettledrum.
11. .
12. The chief or first drummer of a regiment; an instructor of drummers.
13. The marching leader of a military band.
14. A noisy gathering. [R. ] See under Drum, n. , 4.
15. To beat a drum with sticks; to beat or play a tune on a drum.
16. To beat with the fingers, as with drumsticks; to beat with a rapid succession of strokes; to make a noise like that of a beaten drum; as, the ruffed grouse drums with his wings.
17. To throb, as the heart.
18. To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc,; -- with for.
19. To execute on a drum, as a tune.
20. (With out) To expel ignominiously, with beat of drum; as, to drum out a deserter or rogue from a camp, etc.
21. (With up) To assemble by, or as by, beat of drum; to collect; to gather or draw by solicitation; as, to drum up recruits; to drum up customers.
22. small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling food and game fishes of shallow coastal and fresh waters that make a drumming noise
Related Words
drum | drum brake | drum brakes | drum major | drum majorette | drum out | drum printer | drum roll | drum sander | drum up | drumbeat | drumbeater | drumble | drumfire | drumfish | drumhead | drumhead court-martial | drumlin | drumly | drummed | drummer | drumming | drummond | drumstick | drumstick tree |
