tom-tom

[ tom-tom ]

noun

1. a drum of American Indian or Asian origin, commonly played with the hands.
2. a dully repetitious drumbeat or similar sound.

tom-tom

noun

1. a drum associated either with the American Indians or with Eastern cultures, usually beaten with the hands as a signalling instrument
2. a standard cylindrical drum, normally with one drumhead
3. a monotonous drumming or beating sound

verb

1. informal.
   tr to pass (information, esp gossip) around a community very quickly

Word History and Origins

Origin of tom-tom¹

First recorded in 1685–95, tom-tom is from the Hindi word ṭamṭam

Word History and Origins

Origin of tom-tom¹

C17: from Hindi tamtam, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

It includes “On Lamp,” an undulating, not-quite-ambient piece that threads a wandering, slow-motion melody through a stereo dialogue of acoustic guitars and subdued tom-tom syncopations, like a glimpse of a distant caravan.

From New York Times

Try to imagine the Beatles' "Come Together" without Ringo's innovative tom-tom roll.

From Salon

He drew maximum sound from a minimal drum kit, consisting of one snare, a bass drum, two tom-toms, four cymbals and a high hat.

From Washington Post

His avant-garde leanings didn’t begin in the mid-70s, though; earlier, he had invented the Breath-a-Tone, which connects plastic tubes to a tom-tom.

From New York Times

I’ll be saying, “Oh, this one’s got tribal tom-toms,” and everyone else will be saying, “What are you talking about? They all sound exactly the same.”

From The Guardian