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tam

tam-tam; drum

noun TAHM Rare
Communication Media

Origin: Imitative/onomatopoeic origin; from African tam-tam drum, adopted via colonial-era French.

Also means

word of mouth; buzz

Usage Note

Tam (often written tam-tam) in Italian colloquial usage has extended beyond its literal sense of a drum to mean informal word-of-mouth communication or viral buzz: il tam-tam dei social (the buzz on social media). It is masculine and invariable. In its literal sense it refers to a type of African or Asian drum.

Examples

"Il tam-tam sui social ha fatto esplodere la notizia."

Natural Translation

The buzz on social media made the news explode.

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