hit the books vs drum

hit the books is not a noun while drum is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
hit the books	No	No	Yes	No
drum	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, drum is a hyponym of hit the books; that is, drum is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than hit the books:

Other hyponyms of hit the books include con, learn, memorise, memorize, bone, bone up, cram, get up, grind away, mug up, swot, swot up.

hit the books (noun)	drum (noun)
	small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling food and game fishes of shallow coastal and fresh waters that make a drumming noise
	a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end
	a cylindrical metal container, commonly used for shipping or storage of liquids
	a hollow cast iron cylinder attached to the wheel that forms part of the brakes
	the sound of a drum
	a bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends

hit the books (verb)	drum (verb)
learn by reading books	study intensively, as before an exam
	play a percussion instrument
	make a rhythmic sound