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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In the music metaphor, a bass drum cannot play the melodic line of a piano. Max Bertolero, Scientific American, 1 July 2019 There was no bass drum, just a snare and a hi-hat and a cymbal. Gary Graff, Billboard, 28 June 2024 Then, the bass drums, snares, and symbols come alive with a thunderous roar. Matt Dursum, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2023 Making a seamless record, where every note and syllable is in place and every bass drum is identical, is no trick. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near bass drum

Cite this Entry

“Bass drum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bass%20drum. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bass drum

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

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