drum-head court

A form of drumhead court-martial — A court-martial held in the field to hear urgent charges of offences committed in action.

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Meanings

noundrum-head court (plural drum-head courts)

plural drum-head courts

  1. abbreviationclippingClipping of drumhead court-martial.

    We speak of drumfire, drumhead courts; we drum up, drum out, drum into.

    1961, Günter Grass, translated by Ralph Manheim, The Tin Drum, New York: Vintage, published 1990, page 48
    1 more example

    Now each proceeding that follows a mortal sentence pronounced at sea by a drum-head court is characterised by promptitude not perceptibly merging into hurry, tho' bordering that.

    1924, Herman Melville, chapter 23, in Billy Budd, London: Constable & Co.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
drumhead court-martial
Cite this entry
APA

drum-head court. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drum-head%20court

MLA

“drum-head court.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drum-head%20court. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “drum-head court,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drum-head%20court.

Source: drum-head court on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.