rimshot

See also: rim shot

English

Alternative forms

• rim shot

Etymology

rim +‎ shot

Noun

rimshot (plural rimshots)

1. A percussive note in which the drumstick hits both the head and the rim of the drum.
2. (colloquial) A percussive sting or flourish used to punctuate a joke in a cabaret or vaudeville act.

Usage notes

• Technically, the sting used to punctuate a joke is not a rimshot. A rimshot is a particular note (as in sense 1 above); a sting is a percussive figure consisting of several notes, perhaps a roll followed by a crash cymbal. As noted above, though, colloquially, a sting is also called rimshot.

Further reading

• rimshot on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• sting (percussion) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia