kettledrum
noun
kettledrum is spelled K-E-T-T-L-E-D-R-U-M: 10 letters. It appears about once in every 52 million words in written English, the 225,584th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, kettledrum means “A large percussion instrument with a drumhead that is stretched over a hemispherical metal bowl” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of kettledrum is kettledrums.
How many letters and syllables are in kettledrum?
| Letters | 10: K-E-T-T-L-E-D-R-U-M |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 52 million words; the 225,584th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is kettledrum?
Kettledrum appears about once in every 52 million words in written English, the 225,584th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce kettledrum?
- US
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-kettledrum.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of kettledrum
- kettledrums plural
- kettle drum
- kettle-drum
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does kettledrum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A large percussion instrument with a drumhead that is stretched over a hemispherical metal bowl.
- 2
datedAn informal social party at which a light snack is offered, held in the afternoon or early evening.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Kettledrum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense percussion instrument:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | timbale |
| German | Kesselpauke, Pauke |
| Portuguese | tímpano, timbale |
| Spanish | tímpano, tímpanos |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does kettledrum come from?
From kettle + drum.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).