pom-pom

1 of 2

noun (1)

1
: an ornamental ball or tuft used especially on clothing, caps, or costumes
2
: a handheld usually brightly colored fluffy ball flourished by cheerleaders

pom-pom

2 of 2

noun (2)

: an automatic antiaircraft gun of 20 to 40 millimeters mounted especially on ships

Examples of pom-pom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Meanwhile, his driver, completely unaware that the pom-pom was fumbled, kept onward. Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 2 Sep. 2023 Cheery Pom-Poms Attach pom-poms to orange or painted pumpkins. Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 25 Aug. 2023 Make geometric patterns out of felt and add pom-poms for a playful look. Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 13 July 2023 Editor's Tip Fill holes by snipping and gluing individual pom-poms from extra trim. Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2023 In a new interview with Fandango posted to TikTok, the 32-year-old actress shared the simple details behind her now-famous scene (featured in the first trailer for the film released in April) that stars Barbie's feet, in perfectly arched shape, stepping out of a pair of pink pom-pom heels. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 27 June 2023 Add a bit more flair to the arrangement by scattering pom-poms around them. Country Living Staff, Country Living, 23 June 2023 These corduroy throw pillows with pom-poms are available in a number of sizes and colors, plus the style has thousands of five-star reviews. Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping, 23 June 2023 Mannie was an eager participant in the group warmup, waving an orange pom-pom to the beat of a Michael Jackson song. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pom-pom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of pompon

Noun (2)

imitative; from the sound of its discharge

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pom-pom was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near pom-pom

Cite this Entry

“Pom-pom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pom-pom. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

pom-pom

noun
ˈpäm-ˌpäm
1
: a fluffy ball used as trimming on clothing
2
: a handheld usually brightly colored fluffy ball waved by cheerleaders

More from Merriam-Webster on pom-pom

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