Also 8–9 tam-tam, 9 tum-tum, tong-tong. [a. Hindūstānī or other E. Indian vernacular tam-tam: cf. Sinhalese tamaṭṭama, Malay tong-tong; all imitations of the sound of the instrument.]
1. A native East Indian drum; extended also to the drums of barbarous peoples generally.
1693. in Wheeler, Madras (1861), I. 268. That to-morrow morning the Choultry Justices do cause the Tom Tom to be beat through all the streets of the Black Town.
1764. in J. Long, Select. Rec. Govt. (Fort William) (1869), 391 (Y.). You will give strict orders to Zemindars to furnish Oil and Musshauls, and Tom Toms and Pikemen, &c., according to custom.
1782. W. F. Martyn, Geog. Mag., I. 249. The music is composed of small drums called tamtams.
1804. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp. (1837), IV. 186. Let the cause of their punishment be published in the Bazaar by beat of tom tom.
c. 1813. Mrs. Sherwood, Stories Ch. Catech., iv. 20. They were almost deafened by the sound of their tum-tums and trumpets. Ibid. (Explan. Ind. words), Tum-tums, small drums.
1860. Tristram, Gt. Sahara, xi. 184. The chief characteristic of the affair was the noise of drums and tomtoms.
1864. Engel, Mus. Anc. Nat., 63. The other class of Oriental small drums consists of those which are of a barrel-form, covered at each end with skin, carried obliquely, and beaten with one hand at each end. Such drums are best known by the name tom-tom.
b. erroneously. A Chinese gong. (tam-tam.)
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 333. Cymbals, gongs, and the tamtam of the Chinese are made of an alloy of 100 of copper with about 25 of tin.
1856. Mrs. C. Clarke, trans. Berlioz’ Instrument., 229. The gong, or tam-tam, is employed only in funereal compositions and dramatic scenes where terror is carried to its height.
1859. R. Hunt, Guide Mus. Pract. Geol. (ed. 2), 210. The tam-tams and cymbals of bronze of the Chinese are forged with the hammer.
c. transf. Anything beaten like a drum so as to make a loud noise. Chiefly fig.
1885. Pall Mall G., 7 April, 1/1. Those preparations about which the journalistic tom-tom is being beaten so vigorously.
1891. Scott. Leader, 2 July, 5. Mr. Parnell was greeted with such a vigorous beating of tom-toms that he gave up the attempt to speak.
2. The beating of a drum; an imitation of the sound of this.
1898. Alderson, Mounted Infantry Mashonaland, v. 90. Then ‘Tom-tom, tom-tom, tom, tom-a-tom tom,’ go the war drums; out go the fires.
1912. Eng. Rev., March, 615. The tom-tom of the watchman could be heard.
3. attrib. and Comb.
1852. Wilkinson, Egypt Time of Pharaohs, 28. The trumpet was chiefly confined to the military band; to which also belonged, though not exclusively, the tomtom drum, the clappers, and a few others.
1884. J. Colborne, Hicks Pasha, 59. The band consisted of three fiddlers and a tam-tam beater.
1908. Sir H. Johnston, Grenfell & Congo, II. xxv. 719. A drum of the tom-tom form is used.
