drummer boy
Marching band youth
A drummer boy is a young male who plays the drum, especially one who served in military units historically.
Before modern warfare, drummer boys—often children or teenagers—marched with armies to signal commands and maintain rhythm during movement.
The term evokes images of the American Civil War and earlier conflicts.
The Little Drummer Boy is also a popular Christmas song about a poor child offering music to the newborn Jesus.
- snareDevice for catching prey
- marchRhythmic group walk
- paradeCeremonial public procession
- soldierArmed forces member
- uniformIdentical throughout
regiment · battlefield · battle cry · fife · cadence · military · tattoo · little · Christmas · carol · drumstick · beat · rat-a-tat · youth · infantry · Civil War · bugle · patriotic
- Revolutionary WarGeorge Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Paul Revere, Betsy Ross flag
- soldiersinfantryman, private, grenadier, grenadiers, fusilier
- toy soldierstin soldier, tin soldiers, lead soldier, wooden soldier, nutcracker
- ornamentsornaments, ornament, decoration, decor, adornment
- camp followerssutler, laundress, washerwoman, camp cook, prostitute
- military attendantsaide-de-camp, batman, orderly, aide, adjutant
drummer boycommanding officer
Military leader of unit
general · infantryman · old soldier · officer · war hero
drummer, boy, drum, drums, drummed, drumming, boys, boyish, boyhood