Phrase guide

drum roll

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly and rhythmically over short intervals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the sound of a drum (especially a snare drum) beaten rapidly and continuously

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: paradiddle, roll

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sound

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: trommehvirvel — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • Dutch: tromgeroffel — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • Finnish: rummunpärinä — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • French: roulement de tambour — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • French: roulé — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • German: Trommelwirbel — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • Norwegian Bokmål: trommevirvel — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • Polish: dźwięk werbla — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • Russian: бараба́нная дробь (barabánnaja drobʹ) — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • Spanish: redoble de tambor — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • Swedish: pukvirvel — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly
  • Swedish: trumvirvel — sound produced by hitting a drum repeatedly