rullante
/rulˈlan.te/masculine
The English phrase snare drum is translated into Italian as rullante.
The term rullante refers to a tubular drum, specifically a snare drum. In historical or military contexts, you may also see the synonym tamburo militare, which means military drum.
Meaning: tubular drum (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of rullante is rullanti.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /rulˈlan.te/.
Did you know?
- The term rullante is a grammatical rarity because it is a present participle acting as a noun, meaning the instrument is literally named 'the rolling one'.
- The word rullo for a drum roll is also used idiomatically in Italian to describe a 'drumroll' of anticipation before a big announcement.
- The word rullante comes from the verb rullare, which means 'to roll'. This describes the characteristic 'rolling' sound produced by the drum's snares.
Examples in context
- Marco suona il tamburo rullante con grande energia durante la performance.Marco plays the snare drum with great energy during the performance.
- Durante la jam session, Gabriele ha suonato un bel rullante.During the jam session, Gabriele played a nice snare drum.
- Il rullante è molto pesante.The snare drum is very heavy.
- Devo comprare un nuovo rullante.I need to buy a new snare drum.
- Il suono del rullante è limpido.The sound of the snare drum is clear.
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are practicing in a music room.
- MartinaLorenzo, il tuo rullante suona bene.Lorenzo, your snare drum sounds good.
- LorenzoGrazie, l'ho appena accordato.Thanks, I just tuned it.
- MartinaPossiamo provare il pezzo ora?Can we try the piece now?
- LorenzoCerto, iniziamo subito.Sure, let's start right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snare drum” translations and entries rullante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rullante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
