2 N‑COUNT A drum major is a man who leads a marching band by walking in front of them. [AM ]
dru m ma|jor|e tte (drum majorettes ) N‑COUNT A drum majorette is a girl or young woman who wears a uniform and carries a stick which at intervals she throws into the air and catches. Drum majorettes march, often in lines, in front of a band as part of a procession.
drum|mer /drʌ mə r / (drummers ) N‑COUNT A drummer is a person who plays a drum or drums in a band or group.
drum|ming /drʌ m I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Drumming is the action of playing the drums.
2 N‑VAR [oft a N ] Drumming is the sound or feeling of continuous beating. □ [+ of ] He pointed up to the roof, through which the steady drumming of rain could be heard. □ His mouth was dry and he felt a drumming in his temples.
dru m roll (drum rolls ) also drumroll N‑COUNT A drum roll is a series of drumbeats that follow each other so quickly that they make a continuous sound. A drum roll is often used to show that someone important is arriving, or to introduce someone. □ A long drum roll introduced the trapeze artists.
drum|stick /drʌ mst I k/ (drumsticks )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A drumstick is the lower part of the leg of a bird such as a chicken which is cooked and eaten.
2 N‑COUNT Drumsticks are sticks used for beating a drum.
drunk /drʌ ŋk/ (drunks )
1 ADJ Someone who is drunk has drunk so much alcohol that they cannot speak clearly or behave sensibly. □ I got drunk and had to be carried home.
2 N‑COUNT A drunk is someone who is drunk or frequently gets drunk. □ A drunk lay in the alley.
3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are drunk with a strong emotion or an experience, you are in a state of great excitement because of it. □ [+ with ] They are currently drunk with success.
4 Drunk is the past participle of drink .
drunk|ard /drʌ ŋkə r d/ (drunkards ) N‑COUNT A drunkard is someone who frequently gets drunk.
dru nk dri v|er (drunk drivers ) N‑COUNT A drunk driver is someone who drives after drinking more than the amount of alcohol that is legally allowed. [mainly AM ] in BRIT, usually use drink-driver ● drunk driv|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …efforts designed to help stop drunk driving.
drunk|en /drʌ ŋkən/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Drunken is used to describe events and situations that involve people who are drunk. □ The pain roused him from his drunken stupor.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A drunken person is drunk or is frequently drunk. □ Groups of drunken hooligans smashed shop windows and threw stones. ● drunk|en|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ One night Bob stormed drunkenly into her house. ● drunk|en|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He was arrested for drunkenness on his way to the football ground.
dry ◆◆◇ /dra I / (drier or dryer , driest or dryest , dries , drying , dried )
1 ADJ If something is dry , there is no water or moisture on it or in it. □ Clean the metal with a soft dry cloth. □ Pat it dry with a soft towel. □ Once the paint is dry, apply a coat of the red ochre emulsion paint. ● dry|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ …the parched dryness of the air.
2 VERB When something dries or when you dry it, it becomes dry. □ [V ] Leave your hair to dry naturally whenever possible. □ [V n] Wash and dry the lettuce.
3 VERB When you dry the dishes after a meal, you wipe the water off the plates, cups, knives, pans, and other things when they have been washed, using a cloth. □ [V n] Mrs. Madrigal began drying dishes. [Also V ] ● PHRASAL VERB Dry up means the same as dry . [BRIT ] □ [V P n] He got up and stood beside Julie, drying up the dishes while she washed. [Also V P ]
4 ADJ If you say that your skin or hair is dry , you mean that it is less oily than, or not as soft as, normal. □ Nothing looks worse than dry, cracked lips. ● dry|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Dryness of the skin can also be caused by living in centrally heated homes and offices.
5 ADJ If the weather or a period of time is dry , there is no rain or there is much less rain than average. □ Exceptionally dry weather over the past year had cut agricultural production.
6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A dry place or climate is one that gets very little rainfall. □ …a hot, dry climate where the sun is shining all the time. ● dry|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He was advised to spend time in the warmth and dryness of Italy.
7 N‑SING [usu in N ] In the dry means in a place or at a time that is not damp, wet, or rainy. [mainly BRIT ] □ Such cars, however, do grip the road well, even in the dry.
8 ADJ If a river, lake, or well is dry , it is empty of water, usually because of hot weather and lack of rain.
9 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If an oil well is dry , it is no longer producing any oil.
10 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If your mouth or throat is dry , it has little or no saliva in it, and so feels very unpleasant, perhaps because you are tense or ill. □ His mouth was dry, he needed a drink. ● dry|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Symptoms included frequent dryness in the mouth.
11 ADJ If someone has dry eyes, there are no tears in their eyes; often used with negatives or in contexts where you are expressing surprise that they are not crying. □ There were few dry eyes in the house when I finished.