: a percussion instrument that consists of a hollow brass, copper, or fiberglass hemisphere with a calfskin or plastic head whose tension can be changed to vary the pitch
Illustration of kettledrum
Examples of kettledrum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebThe movement began with loud kettledrums, and the crowd cheered wildly.—Gina Kolata, New York Times, 6 May 2024 The second movement, with its loud kettledrums, is an attempt to break through the despair.—Gina Kolata, New York Times, 6 May 2024 With membrane and magnet in place over the cup, the finished device is like a tiny kettledrum: Thump on it, and the drumhead vibrates.—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2024 The tape-staticky gourd rattle and kettledrum boom.—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2018 The women hammered kettledrums and struck a gong suspended from a pagoda.—Julie Lasky, New York Times, 4 July 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kettledrum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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