A small to medium-sized drum, typically played with the hands or sticks. In Indian contexts, it can also refer to a type of small horse-drawn carriage.
From Hindi तमतम (tamtam), an onomatopoeia imitating the sound of drumming. The word entered English in the 17th century through colonial contact with Indian music and later spread to refer to similar drums worldwide. The carriage sense comes from the drumming sound of wheels on roads.
Tom-tom is one of the few English words that's pure onomatopoeia from Hindi - it literally sounds like what it describes! The word traveled from Indian drums to become the standard term for similar drums in jazz, rock, and orchestral music worldwide, making it one of India's most musical exports.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.