It is a cylindrical drum without snare wires, and tend to produce a booming, resonant sound which can vary in pitch.
More recently, companies such as Pearl have come out with "floor tom to bass drum conversion sets".
These commonly consist of strategically shaped rods that one can put in place of the floor tom legs to stand it up horizontally.
Under this method, it is fairly common that a drummer get appropriately sized bass drum hoops to complete the conversion process.
Floor toms are also used in music parades, often being carried and then lifted up and hit to add effect.