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
Rob SheffieldThunderous bass drums and tom-toms predominate, delivering an oscillating groove over which the composer's voice floats …—Tom Huizenga
see drum illustration
Tom HuizengaExamples of bass drum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Listen to this article The occasional boom of a bass drum punctuates the Mass at St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center on the Northwest Side, signaling particularly important moments during the liturgical service, which is celebrated each Sunday in American Sign Language and spoken English.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bass drum
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.
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
Listen to this article The occasional boom of a bass drum punctuates the Mass at St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center on the Northwest Side, signaling particularly important moments during the liturgical service, which is celebrated each Sunday in American Sign Language and spoken English.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bass drum
Articles Related to bass drum
Cite this Entry
“Bass drum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bass%20drum. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share