boomer

noun

1. a person or thing that booms.
2. a person who settles in areas or towns that are booming.
3. Informal. baby boomer.
4. Informal. a wandering or migratory worker; hobo.
5. a period of sudden and decisive economic growth: July was a boomer for the retail trade.
6. Informal. a person, fad, etc., that enjoys a brief popularity or financial success: A new group of boomers made this season’s hit record.
7. an enthusiastic supporter; booster: The boomers tell us our town can double its size.
8. Australian. a fully grown male kangaroo, especially a large one.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a deep, prolonged, resonant sound.
2. to move with a resounding rush or great impetus.
3. to progress, grow, or flourish vigorously, as a business or a city: Her business is booming since she enlarged the store.

verb (used with object)

4. to give forth with a booming sound (often followed by out): The clock boomed out nine.
5. to boost; campaign for vigorously: His followers are booming George for mayor.

noun

6. a deep, prolonged, resonant sound.
7. the resonant cry of a bird or animal.
8. a buzzing, humming, or droning, as of a bee or beetle.
9. a rapid increase in price, development, numbers, etc.: a boom in housing construction.
10. a period of rapid economic growth, prosperity, high wages and prices, and relatively full employment.
11. a rise in popularity, as of a political candidate.

adjective

12. caused by or characteristic of a boom: boom prices.

noun

1. Australian a large male kangaroo
2. Australian and NZ informal anything exceptionally large

verb

1. to make a deep prolonged resonant sound, as of thunder or artillery fire
2. to prosper or cause to prosper vigorously and rapidlybusiness boomed

noun

3. a deep prolonged resonant soundthe boom of the sea
4. the cry of certain animals, esp the bittern
5. a period of high economic growth characterized by rising wages, profits, and prices, full employment, and high levels of investment, trade, and other economic activityCompare depression (def. 5)
6. any similar period of high activity
7. the activity itselfa baby boom

noun

1. nautical a spar to which a sail is fastened to control its position relative to the wind
2. a beam or spar pivoting at the foot of the mast of a derrick, controlling the distance from the mast at which a load is lifted or lowered
3. a pole, usually extensible, carrying an overhead microphone and projected over a film or television set
4. 1. a barrier across a waterway, usually consisting of a chain of connected floating logs, to confine free-floating logs, protect a harbour from attack, etc
   2. the area so barred off

v.

mid-15c., earliest use was for bees and wasps, probably echoic of humming. The meaning “make a loud noise” is 15c. Cf. bomb. Meaning “to burst into prosperity” (of places, businesses, etc.) is 1871, American English. Related: Boomed; booming. Boom box first attested 1978.

n.1

“long pole,” 1540s, from Scottish boun, borrowed from Dutch boom “tree, pole, beam,” from a Middle Dutch word analogous to Old English beam (see beam (n.)).

n.2

in the business sense, 1873, sometimes said to be from boom (n.1), from the nautical meaning “a long spar run out to extend the foot of a sail” — a ship “booming” being one in full sail. But it could just as well be from boom (v.) on the notion of “suddenness.”

see lower the boom.