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kettledrum

ket·tle·drum
K k

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [ket-l-druhm]
    • /ˈkɛt lˌdrʌm/
    • /ˈket.l̩.drʌm/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [ket-l-druhm]
    • /ˈkɛt lˌdrʌm/

Definitions of kettledrum word

  • noun kettledrum a drum consisting of a hollow hemisphere of brass, copper, or fiberglass over which is stretched a skin, the tension of which can be modified by hand screws or foot pedals to vary the pitch. 1
  • noun kettledrum A large drum shaped like a bowl, with a membrane adjustable for tension (and so pitch ) stretched across. 1
  • noun kettledrum music: percussion instrument 1
  • countable noun kettledrum A kettledrum is a large bowl-shaped drum which can be tuned to play a particular note. 0
  • noun kettledrum a percussion instrument of definite pitch, consisting of a hollow bowl-like hemisphere covered with a skin or membrane, supported on a tripod or stand. The pitch may be adjusted by means of screws or pedals, which alter the tension of the skin 0
  • noun kettledrum a percussion instrument consisting of a hollow hemisphere of copper or brass and a parchment top that can be tightened or loosened to change the pitch; timpano 0

Information block about the term

Origin of kettledrum

First appearance:

before 1595
One of the 38% oldest English words
First recorded in 1595-1605; kettle + drum1

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Kettledrum

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

kettledrum popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 55% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data about 62% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

kettledrum usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for kettledrum

noun kettledrum

  • pan — an international distress signal used by shore stations to inform a ship, aircraft, etc., of something vital to its safety or to the safety of one of its passengers.
  • steel pan — steel drum.
  • timpani — a set of kettledrums, especially as used in an orchestra or band.
  • percussion instrument — a musical instrument, as the drum, cymbal, triangle, xylophone, or piano, that is struck to produce a sound, as distinguished from string or wind instruments.

Top questions with kettledrum

  • what is a kettledrum?

See also

Matching words

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