1. A musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end
   "The drum is a common example of a membranophone";
   - membranophone, tympan
    
2. The sound of a drum
   "he could hear the drums before he heard the fifes"
    
3. A bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends
   "He played a rhythmic beat on the drum";
   - barrel
    
4. A cylindrical metal container, commonly used for shipping or storage of liquids
   "The oil refinery stored its products in large metal drums";
   - metal drum
    
5. A hollow cast iron cylinder attached to the wheel that forms part of the brakes
   "The brake drum was scored, reducing the effectiveness of the brakes";
   - brake drum
    
6. Small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling food and game fishes of shallow coastal and fresh waters that make a drumming noise
   "The drum gets its name from the sound it produces using its swim bladder";
   - drumfish

1. Make a rhythmic sound
   "Rain drummed against the windscreen"; "He drummed his fingers on the table";
   - beat, thrum
    
2. (music) play a percussion instrument
   "He drummed a steady beat on the snare"
    
3. Emphasize, or make learn or memorize by repetition
   "my trainer drummed it into me that it was all about the numbers"

Derived forms: drummed, drums, drumming

Type of: cylinder, go, percussion instrument, percussive instrument, play, sciaenid, sciaenid fish, sound, vessel

Part of: drum brake

Encyclopedia: Drum, Frank