Tom-tom

Quick meaning: Tom-tom is a noun meaning A small drum, often one of a joined pair, beaten with the hands, frequently associated with tribal cultures.

Meaning

A small drum, often one of a joined pair, beaten with the hands, frequently associated with tribal cultures.

More Meanings

1. (usually as a pair) Any cylindrical drum, with no snare; part of a drum kit.
2. To play the tom-toms.
3. Alternative form of tam-tam (“a kind of flat gong”).

Example Sentences

The passage would have been agreeable enough but for the dreadful "tom-toms," or wooden drums, which are beaten incessantly while the men are rowing. Two men were engaged constantly at them, making a fearful din the whole voyage.

Many visitors to France will go back to the States after a three months' fling of night spots and sight-seeing without remarking that can-can girls and champagne play about the same part in French life today as the tom-tom and totem pole in American life.

It was voodoo, apparently, but voodoo of a more terrible sort than they had ever known; and some of their women and children had disappeared since the malevolent tom-tom had begun its incessant beating far within the black haunted woods where no dweller ventured.

[T]he Rattle Rale had got information that a party was coming from Badula to look for Hadje, three days before, and had assembled the Country by beat of tom tom, and that those who had conducted Hadje to the stranger had that morning returned: he spoke of the stranger as a 'Deyo' (a God).

Word Forms

• tom-toms
• tom-tomming
• tom-tommed

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include tomtom, tabor, tam-tam, timbrel, tampon, tambour.

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