bass drum

noun

: a large drum having two heads and giving a booming sound of low indefinite pitch see drum illustration

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The band banged its bass drum 22 times. Fox News, 2 Sep. 2022 The orchestral ensemble — 19 string players augmented by a five-octave marimba and a low bass drum — becomes a metaphor for the forest. Thomas May, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2023 Before the music stopped the last sound heard was the pounding of a bass drum. Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 4 Feb. 2023 Most listeners simply hear the staggered staccato of the bass drum worrying away at the beat in an interesting manner. James Wood, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2022 Adams played his bass drum for nearly 50 years while seated in the bleachers at old Municipal Stadium and later at Progressive Field. Staff Reports, cleveland, 3 Feb. 2023 Lives Lived: In 1973, John Adams brought his bass drum to a Cleveland Indians game. Ashley Wu, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2023 While many of the current Guardians players never played with Adams providing the backbeat of a game, Sandy Alomar spent 11 years playing for the Indians with the sound of Adams’ bass drum echoing throughout Municipal Stadium and Progressive Field. Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 30 Jan. 2023 The neck of the bass guitar meets the circle of the bass drum, and Melanie Charles’s foot connects with the bass, which forms a diagonal line with Jonathan Michel’s finger. Amanda Webster, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bass drum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bass drum was in 1798

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 6 Jun. 2023.

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
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