A rapid, continuous beating of drums used to build suspense or announce something exciting.
From 'drum' (percussion instrument, from Germanic origins) plus 'roll' (from Old French 'rolle', from Latin 'rotula' meaning wheel). The compound word emerged in the 19th century as theatrical and circus performances needed terms for dramatic musical effects.
A drum roll works because our brains get excited by rhythm building to a climax—it's the same principle used in music, tension in movies, and even in memes when something surprising is about to happen. It's primal: our ancestors probably responded to intense drumming the same way.
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