thrum

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈthrəm 

thrummed; thrumming

intransitive verb

1

: to sound with a monotonous hum

2

: to play or pluck a stringed instrument idly : strum

transitive verb

1

: to play (something, such as a stringed instrument) in an idle or relaxed manner

2

: to recite tiresomely or monotonously

thrum

2 of 4

noun (1)

: the monotonous sound of thrumming

thrum

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noun (2)

1

a(1)

: a fringe of warp threads left on the loom after the cloth has been removed

(2)

: one of these warp threads

b

: a tuft or short piece of rope yarn used in thrumming canvas

—usually used in plural

c

: bit, particle

2

: a hair, fiber, or threadlike leaf on a plant

also : a tuft or fringe of such structures

thrum adjective

thrum

4 of 4

verb (2)

thrummed; thrumming

transitive verb

1

: to furnish with thrums : fringe

2

: to insert short pieces of rope yarn or spun yarn in (a piece of canvas) to make a rough surface or a mat which can be wrapped about rigging to prevent chafing

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• hum
• purr
• buzz

Examples of thrum in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the steady thrum of the turbines in the power plant

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

His pike made a swift, powerhouse dive under the raft itself and wrapped the rod around the side of the doughnut so hard that the inflated rubber cylinder thrummed like a drum. —Ben East, Outdoor Life, 28 Aug. 2025

The series thrums with time jumps, heartbreak, joy, and family dinners that somehow always end in arguments. —Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Noun

At SweetAbility Bakery, located in Nashville’s Woodbine neighborhood, each day the rhythm of the kitchen thrums to a little different beat. —Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025

The film starts small, in a tight space, but the thrum of the city—its physical energy and its mighty administrative infrastructure—gives it a tension, a sense of ambient conflict that will, soon enough, turn an ordinary night into a neo-noir nightmare. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

imitative

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English -thrum (in tungethrum ligament of the tongue); akin to Old High German drum fragment

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1592, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun (1)

1798, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for thrum

• bum
• chum
• come
• crum
• cum
• drum
• dum
• dumb
• from
• frum
• glum
• gum

Kids Definition

thrum

verb

ˈthrəm

thrummed; thrumming

: to sound or speak with a steady or boring rhythm

thrum noun