Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A sharp sound produced by simultaneously striking the rim and the head of a drum with a drumstick.
  • noun A quick, abrupt drumroll followed by such a sound or by the striking of a cymbal, often used for emphasis after the punchline of a joke told by a comedian.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A percussive note in which the drumstick hits both the head and the rim of the drum.
  • noun colloquial A percussive sting or flourish used to punctuate a joke in a cabaret or vaudeville act.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

rim +‎ shot

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