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drumfire

drumfire

9.9
A long, very loud attack by many heavy guns firing rapidly
  • noun
  • /ˈdrʌmˌfaɪər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bombardeo
  • Under the relentless drumfire, soldiers took cover as the enemy launched an intense barrage.

Examples

  • The city experienced a drumfire of artillery during the military exercise, shaking windows and rattling nerves.

  • Shop after shop, the drumfire of the neon signs drove the shoppers along before them.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • It was all over in a few minutes, but very long minutes they were, as the jeep bounced along the rough track into the defile, leaving a plume of dust and drawing down a deafening continuous drumfire from the hills.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • As the battle raged on, the drumfire from cannons echoed throughout the valley, signaling the ferocity of the conflict.

Synonyms

bombardment
vsdrumfire
47 7.0

A long, heavy attack with bombs or large guns on a place

focuses more on nonstop rapid successive firing than general attack
barrage
vsdrumfire
  • Specialized
14 7.6

A heavy continuous attack by large guns across an area

emphasizes continuous rapid firing itself rather than protective intent
artillery fire
vsdrumfire
  • Specialized
7 6.9

A heavy attack by military guns and cannons on enemy positions

is the intense continuous kind emphasizing speed and sustainment
cannon fire
vsdrumfire
3 4.9

Loud shots from large guns used in an attack

is narrower, stressing rapid sustained barrages rather than simple shots
cannonade
vsdrumfire
  • Formal
1 9.8

A period when heavy guns like cannons fire without stopping at a place

is very similar but emphasizes rapid sustained bursts
shellfire
vsdrumfire
  • Specialized
1 8.8

Heavy firing of large guns causes explosions at a place

focuses on nonstop rapid firing rather than only explosive projectiles
barrage fire
vsdrumfire
  • Specialized
9.3

A long heavy stream of shots from large guns across a wide area to hit many places

is more about nonstop rapid bursts rather than area saturation
concentrated fire
vsdrumfire
  • Jargon
7.1

Fire from several weapons aimed together at one target

focuses on many rapid hits over time rather than coordinated aim
massed fire
vsdrumfire
  • Specialized
8.8

Many weapons fire together at one target

is less about nonstop rapid succession and more about simultaneous concentration

How Intense

barrage
  • Specialized
14 7.6
drumfire
  • Specialized
9.9
volley
  • Specialized
11 6.8
shot
2.3

Surface Forms

drumfire singular
drumfires plural

Morphology

drumfire = drum + fire (semi-transparent) = drum + fire

The components 'drum' and 'fire' are recognizable, but the compound denotes a specialized military concept (sustained artillery/gunfire) not obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Drumfire comes from drum and fire, where drum brings to mind a steady 'beat' like a drum roll and fire means 'shooting'. Think of many guns firing like a drummer, nonstop and loud, so drumfire means a heavy, continuous attack by many guns.