Also 7–9 thrumb. [Echoic: going with THRUM sb.3]
1. a. intr. To play on a stringed instrument, as a guitar, harp, etc., by plucking the strings; to play on any stringed instrument in an idle, mechanical, or unskilful way; to strum.
1592. Greene, Disput., 25. Neither had he any excellent quallities but thrumming on the gittron.
1669. Pepys, Diary, 12 April. After sitting a while, thrumming upon my viall, and singing.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xvii. Sophy, love, take your guitar, and thrum in with the boy a little.
1822. W. Irving, Braceb. Hall, v. Sometimes he even thrums a little on the piano.
1872. Calverley, Fly Leaves (1903), 72. Bang, twang, clatter and clang, Strum, thrum, upon fiddle and drum.
b. trans. To play (a stringed instrument, or a tune on it) idly, monotonously, or unskilfully; to strum upon; also, to pluck, twang (a string).
a. 1625. [see thrumming below].
1675. Covel, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakl. Soc.), 215. A little pittifull instrument with three wire strings, which every fellow thrums ordinarily about the street.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., 439. Th’ old Harp on which he thrums his Lays.
1758. L. Temple, Sketches (ed. 2), 28. The Productions of our present Italian Masters are thrummed over for a Season.
1782. [T. Vaughan], Fashionable Follies, II. cci. 113. Thrumming his guittar under her window.
1841. Catlin, N. Amer. Ind., I. xxii. 159. Bows were strung and thrummed to test their elasticity.
1866. Mrs. Stowe, Litt. Foxes, 117. They thrum a few tunes on the piano.
1873. ‘Ouida,’ Pascarèl, II. 15. The violin of Toccò thrummed a gay melody.
2. intr. To sound as an instrument or string when thrummed; to sound monotonously; to hum.
1763. Poetry, in Ann. Reg., 245. With dead, dull, doleful, heavy hums … The sober hurdy-gurdy thrums.
1887. Gunter, Mr. Barnes, xxii. 159. And so with mandolins thrumming at their head they finally come up the avenue.
1900. Westm. Gaz., 9 Oct., 2/3. Looms are full of woollen webs, spinning-wheels are thrumming.
b. Of a cat: To purr. dial.
a. 1810. Tannahill, Poems (1846), 30. Auld baudrons sits, and croodling thrums.
1841. P. Parley’s Ann., II. 324. She began to cock her tail,… and to purr and thrum as if all her sorrows were entirely forgotten.
3. a. trans. To recite or tell in a ‘sing-song’ or monotonous way; also, to hum over (a melody).
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 173, ¶ 1. Horace and Virgil must be thrummed by a Boy as well before he goes to an Apprenticeship as to the University.
1807. W. Irving, Salmag., XII. v. (1824), 216. Who the fair … vex, By thrumming for ever their weakness of sex.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxi. And then siccan stories as Sanders had…; and eh! as he wad thrum them ower and ower … ayont the ingle at e’en.
a. 1845. Hood, Compass, xxi. And as he walk’d to self he talked, Some ancient ditty thrumming, In under tone.
b. intr. To speak or read monotonously, to ‘drone,’ mumble.
c. 1774. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 681. To despise every old woman that thrums over good books all day,… because she does not understand Latin.
1825. [see thrumming below].
1829. Scott, Jrnl., 26 March. Boswell … has thrummed upon this topic till it is threadbare.
1858. P. J. Bailey, The Age, 152.
| Shall every ninny who can thrum on rhyme, | |
| Break all our ear-drums without tune or time? |
4. To strike something with the fingers as if playing on a musical instrument; to drum upon (a table, etc.). a. trans.
c. 1750. Shenstone, Colemira, 28. How I long … To view those rosy fingers strike the lyre! For late when bees to change their clime began How did I see ’em thrum the frying pan.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, lxiii. She … dashing the pin through the card on to the table, sat thrumming it for a while.
b. intr. with on or upon.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., I. 265. While I sat … meditating … I was thrumming with the other hand upon the quarto.
1842. Tennyson, Will Waterproof, xx. I sit, my empty glass reversed, And thrumming on the table.
1865. G. Meredith, Rhoda Fleming, xv. The squire was thrumming on the back of his chair.
5. slang. (trans.) a. To beat (a person). ? Obs.
1604. Dekker, Honest Wh., I. vii. Flat-cap,… y’are a flat foole, an Asse, a Gull, and I’le thrum you.
1676. Shadwell, Virtuoso, I. i. ’Sdeath! you sawcy Jades,… I’ll thrum you.
1823. [see thrumming below].
b. In obscene sense: see quots. ? Obs.
1611. Florio, Accencire una donna, to thrum a wench.
1762. Brydges, Burlesque Homer (1797), I. 138. How they had thrum’d the maids of Troy.
Hence Thrummed ppl. a.; Thrumming vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Woman’s Prize, I. i. Your mistriss … must think This single thrumming of a fiddle … but even poor sport.
1681. Dryden, Span. Friar, I. ii. The thrumming of a guitar.
1697. Collier, Mor. Subj., II. (1709), 19. As for Thrumming upon a Fiddle, he left it to such Finical Sparks as they were.
1823. Pyne, Wine & Walnuts (1824), II. xv. 208. The ushers … begged a half holiday for the whole school,… and thus they escaped a thrumming.
1825. Scott, Lett., 29 Nov. I am writing in the Court … little … enlivened by the thrumming of two very dull pleaders.
1840. Lady C. Bury, Hist. of Flirt, vii. Thrumming generally leads to whispering and love-making.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., l. Little tinklings of mule-bells and whirrings of thrumbed strings.
