drumhead
drumhead Lexical Profile
drumhead Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The taut membrane of animal skin or synthetic material stretched across the open end of a drum, which vibrates to produce sound when struck.
"The percussionist tightened the tension rods to adjust the pitch of the drumhead before the concert."
The tympanic membrane of the ear, which vibrates in response to sound waves; the eardrum.
"The sudden, deafening thunderclap felt as though it might rupture his drumhead."
The circular, flat top of a ship's capstan, pierced with sockets into which levers or capstan bars are inserted to turn it.
"The sailors fitted the heavy wooden bars into the holes around the drumhead to haul up the anchor."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used attributively in phrases such as 'drumhead court-martial' or 'drumhead trial,' it denotes a summary military or judicial proceeding conducted hastily in the field without standard legal formalities.
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 16th century as a compound of 'drum' and 'head'. The legal sense of a 'drumhead court-martial' arose from the historical military practice of using the flat top of an upturned drum as an improvised writing table during summary trials on the battlefield.