thrum
thrum Lexical Profile
thrum Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A continuous, low, rhythmic humming or vibrating sound, or the sound made by strumming a stringed instrument.
"She fell asleep listening to the steady thrum of the ship's engines beneath the deck."
The fringe of unwoven warp threads remaining on a loom after the cloth has been cut off, or any short piece of waste yarn.
"The weaver gathered the leftover thrums to tie into small tufts for a sturdy winter rug."
• verb
To make a continuous, rhythmic humming or vibrating sound.
"The heavy generator continued to thrum softly in the basement throughout the night."
To play a stringed instrument in an idle, monotonous, or unskillful manner, or to drum one's fingers rhythmically on a surface.
"He began to thrum his fingers impatiently on the wooden tabletop while waiting for the results."
• Rhymes for thrum
Word Origin & Etymology
In its weaving sense, the word derives from Middle English thrum, from Old English -thrum ('ligament'), related to Old High German drum ('end-piece' or 'stub'). In its acoustic sense, it dates to the 16th century as an imitative formation echoing a low, vibrating sound.