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.
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 Those final twin blows of the timpani and the bass drum have a fist-pumping vibe. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024 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 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 22 Dec. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!