thrum

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈthrəm 

thrummed; thrumming

intransitive verb

1

: to sound with a monotonous hum

2

: to play or pluck a stringed instrument idly : strum

transitive verb

1

: to play (something, such as a stringed instrument) in an idle or relaxed manner

2

: to recite tiresomely or monotonously

thrum

2 of 4

noun (1)

: the monotonous sound of thrumming

thrum

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noun (2)

1

a(1)

: a fringe of warp threads left on the loom after the cloth has been removed

(2)

: one of these warp threads

b

: a tuft or short piece of rope yarn used in thrumming canvas

—usually used in plural

c

: bit, particle

2

: a hair, fiber, or threadlike leaf on a plant

also : a tuft or fringe of such structures

thrum adjective

thrum

4 of 4

verb (2)

thrummed; thrumming

transitive verb

1

: to furnish with thrums : fringe

2

: to insert short pieces of rope yarn or spun yarn in (a piece of canvas) to make a rough surface or a mat which can be wrapped about rigging to prevent chafing

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• burr
• buzz
• chirr
• churr
• drone
• hum
• purr
• whir
• whirr
• whiz
• whizz
• zoom

Examples of thrum in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the steady thrum of the turbines in the power plant

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

But the album also thrums with wariness of modern fame and its distortions. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024

With Paris’s cafés teeming with customers, theaters humming with audiences, and stadiums thrumming with fans, the city gave new life to the old saw that plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. —Robert Zaretsky, Foreign Affairs, 20 July 2020

Noun

The existential question of what this show is or will be thrums underneath the constant churn of crisis that Lorne attempts to manage: Will Belushi (Matt Wood) sign his contract? —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 4 Oct. 2024

Martini’s Christ on the Cross (ca. 1340), one of the final paintings in the show, thrums with a kind of awkwardness that’s only possible when art is still between movements. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

imitative

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English -thrum (in tungethrum ligament of the tongue); akin to Old High German drum fragment

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1592, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun (1)

1798, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

thrum

verb

ˈthrəm

thrummed; thrumming

: to sound or speak with a steady or boring rhythm

thrum noun