See also: Drummer

English edit

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdɹʌmə(ɹ)/
  • (file)
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈdɹʌmɚ/
  • Rhymes: -ʌmə(ɹ)

Etymology 1 edit

drum +‎ -er (occupational suffix) or +‎ -er (relational noun suffix)

Noun edit

drummer (plural drummers)

  1. (music) One who plays the drums.
  2. A drumstick (the lower part of a chicken or turkey leg).
  3. Any of various fish of the family Kyphosidae, which make a drumming sound.
    • 1983, The Fisherman Who Laughed, page 67:
      Bullock's liver will catch drummer.
Usage notes edit

The term drummer is usually used for contemporary or popular musicians, whereas a classical musician is typically called a percussionist.

Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2 edit

drum (house) +‎ -er

Noun edit

drummer (plural drummers)

  1. (UK, slang) A housebreaker.
    • 1999, Theatre Record, volume 19, numbers 17-20:
      Bennett's central figure, Ray, is first and foremost a serial "drummer" (housebreaker in crim-speak), and only secondly a human being, []
  2. (dated, slang) A travelling salesman.
    • 1953, Richard Bissell, chapter 14, in 7½ Cents[1], Atlantic-Little, Brown, page 154:
      You know what life on the road is like — these poor salesmen when they don't sell some big account they been counting on why they go into one terrible slump they set there in the hotel room brooding over it and after a while they go out and meet some other drummer down in the lobby and start chewing the rag about all their troubles and then they get feeling so sorry they go across the street and commence drinking beer and about three hours later they come back to the room and write the house one of these here letters how rotten the product is.

Dutch edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from English drummer.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

drummer m (plural drummers, diminutive drummertje n)

  1. (music) A drummer, especially one who plays a drum kit.

Synonyms edit

Related terms edit

French edit

Alternative forms edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

drummer m or f by sense (plural drummers, feminine drummeuse)

  1. drummer
    Synonym: batteur

Further reading edit

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Unadapted borrowing from English drummer.

Noun edit

drummer m (uncountable)

  1. drummer

Declension edit