Meaning & use
tam tams
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“tam tams” is a form of “tam-tam”.
Meanings
nouncountablemusic
Large flat metal discs hung from a frame and struck with a soft mallet to make a deep, shimmering crash; used in orchestras.
Grammar: Plural of tam-tam; one instrument is a tam-tam.
Two tam tams stood at the back of the orchestra, ready for the final chord.
The composer asked for tam tams of different sizes to make a darker sound.
The tam tams rang out softly after the last bar.
nouncountableold-fashioned
Drums of African or Asian origin, often played by hand, used in dance or ceremony.
Grammar: Plural; this older meaning is less common than the orchestral one.
Villagers beat the tam tams as the dancers arrived.
Travelers wrote of the tam tams heard across the river at night.
The festival opened with a group of players on tam tams.
Word forms
| singular | tam-tam |
|---|
Common combinations
- strike the tam tams
- The percussionist struck the tam tams once.
- the sound of tam tams
- The sound of tam tams filled the hall.
- a pair of tam tams
- The score calls for a pair of tam tams.
- a deep tam tam
- A deep tam tam marked the end of the movement.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gongs
- Gongs is the broader word; a gong usually has a raised rim and a definite pitch, while a tam-tam is flat with no clear pitch.
- drums
- Drums is a general word and does not tell you whether the instrument is metal or skin.
- cymbals
- Cymbals are smaller and played in pairs or on a stand, and they make a sharper sound.
Word family
- tam-tam noun
- one such instrument
- gong noun
- a related metal percussion instrument
- percussion noun
- instruments played by striking
Commonly confused: tam tams or tom-toms? tam tams or tam o' shanter?
tam tams vs tom-toms
Tom-toms are drums with skin heads, often in a drum kit. Tam tams are usually metal discs, though the word was once used for drums too.
tam tams vs tam o' shanter
A tam is a flat Scottish cap, and has nothing to do with the instrument.
Practice
In the orchestra, the percussionist struck the large metal discs called ______ for a deep, ringing crash.
Choose one answer.
Tam tams are large hanging metal discs. Tom-toms are drums with skin heads, which would not give a long metallic crash.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tam tams”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.