Collins English-English Dictionary

drum [dr^m]

1. 1. n [music] a percussion instrument sounded by striking a membrane stretched across the opening of a hollow cylinder or hemisphere

2. 2. n drumfish any of various North American marine and freshwater sciaenid fishes, such as Equetus pulcher (striped drum), that utter a drumming sound

3. 3. n the sound produced by a drum or any similar sound

4. 4. n an object that resembles a drum in shape, such as a large spool or a cylindrical container

5. 5. n [architect] one of a number of cylindrical blocks of stone used to construct the shaft of a column

6. 6. n the wall or structure supporting a dome or cupola

7. 7. n short for eardrum

8. 8. n a type of hollow rotor for steam turbines or axial compressors

9. 9. n [computing] a rotating cylindrical device on which data may be stored for later retrieval: now mostly superseded by disks - See disk

10. 10. n [archaic] a drummer

11. 11. vb to play (music) on or as if on a drum

12. 12. vb to beat or tap (the fingers) rhythmically or regularly

13. 13. vi. [intr] (of birds) to produce a rhythmic sound, as by beating the bill against a tree, branch, etc

14. 14. vt. [tr; sometimes foll by up] to summon or call by drumming

15. 15. vt. [tr] to instil by constant repetition

    to drum an idea into someone's head

16. 16. vt. See also drum out drum up

17. 17. vt. [Etymology] C16: probably from Middle Dutch tromme, of imitative origin

drum [dr^m]

1. 1. n [Scot, Irish] a narrow ridge or hill

2. 2. n [Etymology] C18: from Scottish Gaelic druim