bass drum

noun

plural bass drums
: a large drum that has two heads and produces a booming sound of low indefinite pitch
[The Beatles'] 18-year-old engineer Geoff Emerick transformed their sound by stuffing a sweater in Ringo's bass drum.Rob Sheffield
Thunderous bass drums and tom-toms predominate, delivering an oscillating groove over which the composer's voice floats …Tom Huizenga
see drum illustration

Examples of bass drum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Low frequencies correspond to deep sounds, like a bass drum; high frequencies correspond to sharp sounds, like a whistle. Jiaxin Zhong, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025 Disco music was notable for its stratified textures, anchored in the four-on-the-floor beat, which has the tendency to put the bass drum on every quarter note. Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 23 Feb. 2025 Members of the group brought their flags from the tailgate into the stadium along with bass drums, doing their part to set the tone for home matches once the season begins. Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025 The performers manipulate five batteries of drums, including timpani, snares, congas, bongos, tom-toms, and bass drums. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bass drum

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bass drum was in 1789

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Cite this Entry

“Bass drum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bass%20drum. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

bass drum

noun
: a large drum that has two heads and that produces a booming sound

More from Merriam-Webster on bass drum

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