To play a stringed instrument like a guitar by brushing your fingers across the strings in a smooth way. He strummed the guitar softly while singing.
Possibly from Middle English strumen or imitative in origin, potentially related to Old Norse strengr (string). The word may be onomatopoeia—it sounds like the action it describes.
Strum might be onomatopoeia—the word literally sounds like what it does, especially if you say it with a rolling 'r.' Musicians naturally adopted this word because it captures both the sound and the casual, flowing motion that distinguishes strumming from precise picking.
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