boomerang

noun boo·mer·ang \ ˈbü-mə-ˌraŋ \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

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

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boomerang

intransitive verb

See boomerang defined for English-language learners

See boomerang defined for kids

Recent Examples of boomerang from the Web

The Quantico actress shared a boomerang of herself riding a hoverboard while wearing a robe and chowing down on a plate of food.

— jessica fecteau, PEOPLE.com, "All the Stars Who Aren't Afraid to Chow Down While They're Getting Glammed Up," 15 June 2018
Throughout the night, the actress posted many photos on social media, including two boomerangs of herself posing next to the cake.

— madison roberts, PEOPLE.com, "Sofia Vergara Celebrated Her 46th Birthday with a Cake That Matched Her Dress Exactly," 11 July 2018
The course includes a couple of drivable par-4s – one with a massive boomerang green – and a short par-3 which requires a nerve-wracking shot over a deep chasm of sand.

— gary d'amato, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "D'Amato: How Sand Valley Golf Resort is transforming central Wisconsin," 30 June 2018
One in 5 Medicare patients sent from the hospital to a nursing home boomerang back within 30 days, often for potentially preventable conditions such as dehydration, infections and medication errors, federal records show.

— jordan rau, chicagotribune.com, "Medicare takes aim at boomerang hospitalizations of nursing home patients," 22 June 2018
One in 5 Medicare patients sent from the hospital to a nursing home boomerang back within 30 days, often for potentially preventable conditions such as dehydration, infections and medication errors, federal records show.

— jordan rau, Washington Post, "Medicare Takes Aim At Boomerang Hospitalizations Of Nursing Home Patients," 13 June 2018
Companies are bringing in workers from the sidelines to fill talent gaps and 40% are looking at different talent pools for skills including boomerang retirees, long-term unemployed or returning parents and part-timers.

— james freeman, WSJ, "Big Businesses Can’t Find Enough Workers, Either," 26 June 2018
While that particular fact was made very clear, the 18 photos, videos, and boomerangs of her making matzo ball soup still left us puzzled about a few other things.

— olivia harrison, refinery29.com, "We Have So Many Questions About Kylie Jenner's Matzo Ball Soup," 19 June 2018
Returning Rage fans will also be happy to get their hands on the weird bladed boomerangs again, the Wingsticks.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Hands-on: Rage 2's Doom-inspired action is a maelstrom of guns, grenades, and gore," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'boomerang.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of boomerang

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1824

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

BOOMERANG Defined for English Language Learners

boomerang

noun

Definition of boomerang for English Language Learners

: a curved, flat, wooden tool that can be thrown in such a way that it returns to the thrower

BOOMERANG Defined for Kids

boomerang

noun boo·mer·ang \ ˈbü-mə-ˌraŋ \

Definition of boomerang for Students

: a curved club that can be thrown so as to return to the thrower

History for boomerang

The word boomerang was taken from a language called Dharuk, spoken by the native Australian people who lived around what is today Sydney, Australia, when the first Europeans landed there in 1788. Many Dharuk speakers died of smallpox, brought by European colonists, and the language was almost completely out of use by about 1850. Curiously, the earliest record of Dharuk, taken down in 1790, incorrectly described boomerang as a kind of wooden sword.