The sound made by striking a drum; also a steady, persistent rhythm or pattern of activity.
Compound of 'drum' (from Middle Dutch 'tromme') and 'beat' (from Old English 'beatan'). Used metaphorically since the 1800s for any steady, insistent rhythm.
The term 'drumbeat' became a political metaphor because drums are used in military marches—so when politicians talk about a 'drumbeat of support,' they're drawing on the image of soldiers marching in sync!
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