rimshot

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See also: rim shot

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

rim +‎ shot

Noun[edit]

rimshot (plural rimshots)

  1. A percussive note in which the drumstick hits both the head and the rim of the drum.
  2. (colloquial) A percussive sting or flourish used to punctuate a joke in a cabaret or vaudeville act.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Technically, the sting used to punctuate a joke is not a rimshot. A rimshot is a particular note (as in sense 1 above); a sting is a percussive figure consisting of several notes, perhaps a roll followed by a crash cymbal. As noted above, though, colloquially, a sting is also called rimshot.

Further reading[edit]