English Dictionary: Snare drum | by the DICT Development Group |
2 results for Snare drum | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Snare \Snare\, n. [AS. sneara cord, a string; akin to D. snoer, G. schnur, OHG. snour a cord, snarahha a noose, Dan. snare, Sw. & Icel. snara, Goth. sn[?]rj[?] a basket; and probably also to E. needle. See {Needle}, and cf. {Snarl} to entangle.] 1. A contrivance, often consisting of a noose of cord, or the like, by which a bird or other animal may be entangled and caught; a trap; a gin. 2. Hence, anything by which one is entangled and brought into trouble. If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed, Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee. --Shak. 3. The gut or string stretched across the lower head of a drum. 4. (Med.) An instrument, consisting usually of a wireloop or noose, for removing tumors, etc., by avulsion. {Snare drum}, the smaller common military drum, as distinguished from the bass drum; -- so called because (in order to render it more resonant) it has stretched across its lower head a catgut string or strings. |