boomerang en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈbʉməɻaŋ/ (Northern-Ireland)
- /ˈbʉːməɹɛŋ/ (New-Zealand)
- [ˈbumɚeɪ̯ŋ] ~ [ˈbumɚɛ̃ŋ] æ-raising
- /ˈbumɚeɪŋ/ æ-raising
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈbuːməɹæŋ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈbʉːməɹɛːŋ] ~ [ˈbʉːməɹeːŋ] æ-raising
- /ˈbuːməɹaŋɡ/ (Midlands, Northern-England) without NG-coalescence
- /ˈbʉːməɹæːŋ/ (Australia)
- [ˈbʉːməɹæːŋ] without æ-raising
- /ˈbumɚæŋ/ without æ-raising
- /ˈbʉməɾaŋ/ (Scotland)
- /ˈbʉwməɹaŋ/ (British, Southern, Standard)
Etymology
Origin uncertain. Possibly from Thurawal. Long regarded as from the Sydney language, but early evidence unclear. The form boo-mer-it is glossed, c.1790, as 'scimeter' (i.e., scimitar) and the word bumarang, bumarañ is not explicitly recorded in the Sydney Language until 1903.
Meanings
-
Any of various traditional throwing sticks used for hunting or combat by Australian aborigines, including the symmetrical, crescent-shaped, type (the returning boomerang).
Some resemblance to terrestrial things, it is true, everyone can behold in the heavens. Corona, for example, is like a crown, or, as the Australian black fellows know, it is like a boomerang, and we can understand why they give it the name of that curious curved missile.
1884, Andrew Lang, “Star Myths”, in Custom and Myth:With boomerang and spear they hunted the kangaroo and emu, and fought their battles beneath the eucalyptus forests; their minds, fresh, untroubled, contented, oblivious alike of noble ideals and philosophic principles.
1897, Warren Bert Kimberly, History of West Australia:
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A flat curved airfoil that spins about an axis perpendicular to the direction of flight, originally used in various parts of the world as a hunting weapon or, in returnable types, for sports or training.
Before long, however, these pike-like devices were mostly superseded by spring-operated guns of various types. Most of them shot spinning disks, crosses, or small boomerangs of thin steel.
1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 43:1961, Charlie Drake, song, My Boomerang Won't Come Back, "Don't worry, boy, I know the trick, / And to you I'm gonna show it. / If you want your boomerang to come back, / Well first you've got to... throw it."
- A breakdancing move in which the performer walks on their hands while keeping the legs raised off the ground.
- (qualifier:Australian rules football) A boomerang kick.
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A device for changing the color of a followspot.
If you are spot one you should push down on the first lever on the boomerang to load frame one. Spot two should do the same with frame five. On the go, both spot ops should run their dowser levers to bring the light up on the target specified by the cue caller.
2013, John Holloway, Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, page 144:Roll: A live action changing from one color to another. Typically requires dexterity to "crossfade" between two colors in the boomerang with one hand while following with the other.
2013, Steven Louis Shelley, A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting:
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(qualifier:RAF slang) The early return of an aircraft whose mission was aborted, often due to technical failures.
For quotations using this term, see Citations:boomerang.
- A cocktail made with rye whiskey and Swedish punsch.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| boomerangs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
boomeranglike · boomerang dysplasia · boomeranger · boomerang kick · boomerang effect · boomerang baby · imperial boomerang · boomerang kid · Boomerang Beach · boomerang child · hunting boomerang · boomerang pillow · boomerang illusion · returning boomerang
Descendants
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (99)
nl boemerang (flat curved airfoil) · ja ブーメラン (flat curved airfoil) · ast bumerán (flat curved airfoil) · wrk ngubungu (flat curved airfoil) · ru бумера́нг (flat curved airfoil) · pjt kaḻi (flat curved airfoil) · sv bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · cmn 回力鏢 /回力镖 (flat curved airfoil) · gbu barrgeeli (flat curved airfoil) · wmt karli (flat curved airfoil) · sq bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · bjb wadna (flat curved airfoil) · dbl warrginy (flat curved airfoil) · eo bumerango (flat curved airfoil) · kky wangi (flat curved airfoil) · cmn 飛去來器 /飞去来器 (flat curved airfoil) · nay tulanggi (flat curved airfoil) · wbp karli (flat curved airfoil) · af boemerang (flat curved airfoil) · adt apiwirlanha (flat curved airfoil) · cmn 飛鏢 /飞镖 (flat curved airfoil) · pl bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · nb bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · nnr wadna (flat curved airfoil) · jui wadna (flat curved airfoil) · it bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · it boomerang (flat curved airfoil) · fr boumerang (flat curved airfoil) · ro bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · gyd wangalka (flat curved airfoil) · xwk pakarranyi (flat curved airfoil) · cmn 回飛棒 /回飞棒 (flat curved airfoil) · xdk buumarang (flat curved airfoil) · uk бумера́нг (flat curved airfoil) · de Bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · wbp jurluparli (flat curved airfoil) · es bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · el μπούμερανγκ (flat curved airfoil) · az bumeranq (flat curved airfoil) · sk bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · ar بُومَرَانْغ (flat curved airfoil) · es búmeran (flat curved airfoil) · ko 부메랑 (flat curved airfoil) · cmn 回旋鏢 /回旋镖 (flat curved airfoil) · wmb juguli (flat curved airfoil) · cs bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · wyi wangim (flat curved airfoil) · ka ბუმერანგი (flat curved airfoil) · bn বুমেরাং (flat curved airfoil) · aer alye (flat curved airfoil) · zku wadna (flat curved airfoil) · cmn 飛旋鏢 /飞旋镖 (flat curved airfoil) · fr boomerang (flat curved airfoil) · hi बुमेरांग (flat curved airfoil) · lv bumerangs (flat curved airfoil) · et bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · nnv watna (flat curved airfoil) · nay wanar (flat curved airfoil) · fa بومرنگ (flat curved airfoil) · he בּוּמֶרַנְג (flat curved airfoil) · adt marrawirri (flat curved airfoil) · hu bumeráng (flat curved airfoil) · fi bumerangi (flat curved airfoil) · nay pankety (flat curved airfoil) · tl haliryo (flat curved airfoil) · ar عُرْجُد (flat curved airfoil) · tr bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · nay pankatji (flat curved airfoil) · nn bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · hy բումերանգ (flat curved airfoil) · id bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · egy T14-m-M3 (flat curved airfoil) · io bumerango (flat curved airfoil) · tl bumeran (flat curved airfoil) · vo bumär (flat curved airfoil) · is bjúgverpill (flat curved airfoil) · are alye (flat curved airfoil) · da boomerang (flat curved airfoil) · gl búmerang (flat curved airfoil) · lt bumerangas (flat curved airfoil) · nrl wirrba,wirri (flat curved airfoil) · ilo palladaw (flat curved airfoil) · bcj irrgil (flat curved airfoil) · xda barkan (flat curved airfoil) · wbp jilypirrpa (flat curved airfoil) · eu bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · adt wadna (flat curved airfoil) · kld barran (flat curved airfoil) · wlg pirrikala (flat curved airfoil) · bg бумеранг (flat curved airfoil) · mwf kuragadha (flat curved airfoil) · xul berra (flat curved airfoil) · nay yereyeraipi (flat curved airfoil) · pt bumerangue (flat curved airfoil) · drl wana (flat curved airfoil) · ca bumerang (flat curved airfoil) · es bumerán (flat curved airfoil) · wrr bura (flat curved airfoil) · wbp kurrupardu (flat curved airfoil)