boomerang

boo·mer·ang

noun \ˈbü-mə-ˌraŋ\

Definition of BOOMERANG

1

: a bent or angular throwing club typically flat on one side and rounded on the other so that it soars or curves in flight; especially : one designed to return near the thrower

2

: an act or utterance that backfires on its originator

— boomerang intransitive verb

Origin of BOOMERANG

Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) bumarinʸ

First Known Use: 1825

Rhymes with BOOMERANG

charabanc, give a hang, overhang, parasang, rhyming slang, siamang, yin and yang

boomerang

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Curved throwing stick used chiefly by the aborigines of Australia for hunting and warfare. About 12–30 in. (30–75 cm) in length, the returning boomerang varies in shape from a deep curve to almost straight sides of an angle. The ends are twisted or skewed in opposite directions. It is held at one end, above and behind the thrower's shoulder, and swung forward rapidly. Just before release, the thrower adds spin by flicking the wrist so that the stick will loop around and return to him. Returning boomerangs were used only in eastern and western Australia as playthings, in tournament competition, and by hunters to imitate hawks for driving flocks of game birds into nets. The longer, straighter, and heavier nonreturning boomerang can kill animals and even humans.