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
All of them feature a rabbit’s silhouette with a 3-D pom-pom tail. Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024 Keep in Mind The pom-poms might be irresistible to pets interested in taking a swipe or a bite. Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2024 The gray bunny wears an orange hat with a green pom-pom on top, resembling a carrot. Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 13 Mar. 2024 Once the camera started rolling, Kotb and Bush Hager, 42, were greeted by two rows of kids welcoming them with cheerleading pom-poms. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Charity rocks some pom-poms | Credit: ABC Too adorable. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 18 July 2023 Catie, who also coaches the school's Spirit Squad and is often found dancing in the hallways, adds that the entire school lined the corridors with gleaming silver pom-poms, while uplifting music filled the speaker system. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024 To make: Draw the bunny face on a circle of cardstock (trace around a glass) with a pom-pom nose glued on. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2024 Taking one last page out of Swift’s style book, Earle layered an oversize, vintage Dolphins jacket over her chic look and topped it all off with a pom-pom hat, which paired perfectly with her wavy blonde hair. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024

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 29 Mar. 2024.

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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