tom-tom
- noun
- /ˈtɑmˌtɑm/
- Many jazz musicians incorporate tom-toms into their drum kits for added depth.
- beat on tom-toms
- tom-tom drums
Examples
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[Nat Horne] I heard someone beating a drum, one of those tom-tom drums, down on the hall and I said, "Who was beating this drum every day I come to class?"
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In the traditional ceremony, the drummers played the tom-toms to celebrate.
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And listen to the music of the tom-toms.
Fiction book (1994) -
Music, like the natives make on their tom-toms.
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They would dance when they heard a tom-tom.
Fiction book (1992) -
The mayor grabbed a tom-tom and started to smack it.
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The counselors, also in blankets but with only two streaks of red, beat on tom-toms made of round wooden cheeseboxes with leather stretched over the top and nailed in place.
Fiction book (1990) -
The band used a tom-tom in their performance to create a rhythmic beat.
Synonyms
A hollow cylinder with a tight skin that you hit to make a beat
A drum-like instrument played to make rhythm
How Loud
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word tom-tom comes from Asian names like tam-tam and copies the sound 'tom' that the drum makes. So a tom-tom is simply a drum you hear making that 'tom' beat in music and ceremonies.