- 1 a musical instrument made of a hollow round frame with plastic or skin stretched tightly across one or both ends. You play it by hitting it with sticks or with your hands. a bass drum Tony Cox on drums to play the drums a regular drum beat There was a great crash and then a long roll of drums. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebass, bongo, electronic, … verb + drumbang, beat, hit, … drum + nounkit, set, stick, … phrasesa roll of drums See full entry See related entries: Musical instruments
- 2 a large container for oil or chemicals, shaped like a cylinder a 50 gallon drum an oil drum Hazardous waste is stored in drums until it can be disposed of.
- 3a thing shaped like a drum, especially part of a machine The mixture flows to a revolving drum where the water is filtered out. Word OriginMiddle English: from Middle Dutch or Low German tromme, of imitative origin.Idioms
(especially British English) to speak with enthusiasm in support of somebody/something She’s really banging the drum for the new system.
to behave in a different way from other people; to have different attitudes or ideas She was a gifted and original artist who marched to a different drummer.
Check pronunciation: drum
