Kettledrum
/ˈkɛt.əl.drʌm/noun
A large drum with a rounded metal body and a drumhead stretched over the top, typically played in pairs.
Did you know?The first part of the word comes from the drum’s resemblance to a metal kettle, not from any mystical source, but the instrument itself became a symbol of power in military and ceremonial music.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cetel
“a metal pot or cooking vessel”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*katilaz
“metal pot, kettle”
Late Old English / Middle English
English
ketel-drum
“a drum shaped like a kettle”
17th Century
English
kettledrum
“a large shallow drum with a rounded metal shell”
Modern English
English
kettledrum
“a large drum with a rounded metal body”