RIMSHOT

Etymology

Noun

rimshot (plural rimshots)

A percussive note in which the drumstick hits both the head and the rim of the drum.

(colloquial) A percussive sting or flourish used to punctuate a joke in a cabaret or vaudeville act.

Usage notes

• Technically, the sting used to punctuate a joke is not a rimshot. A rimshot is a particular note (as in sense 1 above); a sting is a percussive figure consisting of several notes, perhaps a roll followed by a crash cymbal. As noted above, though, colloquially, a sting is also called rimshot.

Source: Wiktionary