boomerangとは

意味・読み方・使い方

語源

Borrowed from Dharug bumariny.

発音

• (Received 発音) IPA^(key): /ˈbuːməɹæŋ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbuməɹæŋ/
• ハイフネーション: boo‧me‧rang

名詞

boomerang (複数形 boomerangs)

1. A flat curved airfoil that spins about an axis perpendicular to the direction of flight, originally used in various parts of the world as a hunting weapon or, in returnable types, for sports or training.

   Synonym: kylie

   • 1884, Andrew Lang, Star Myths in Custom and Myth,

     Some resemblance to terrestrial things, it is true, everyone can behold in the heavens. Corona, for example, is like a crown, or, as the Australian black fellows know, it is like a boomerang, and we can understand why they give it the name of that curious curved missile.

   • 1897, Warren Bert Kimberly, History of West Australia:

     With boomerang and spear they hunted the kangaroo and emu, and fought their battles beneath the eucalyptus forests; their minds, fresh, untroubled, contented, oblivious alike of noble ideals and philosophic principles.

   • 1961, Charlie Drake, song, My Boomerang Won't Come Back,

     "Don't worry, boy, I know the trick, / And to you I'm gonna show it. / If you want your boomerang to come back, / Well first you've got to... throw it."

2. A breakdancing move in which the performer walks on their hands while keeping the legs raised off the ground.
3. (豪州用法 rules football, rugby) A boomerang kick.
4. (theater) A device for changing the color of a followspot.
   • 2013, Steven Louis Shelley, A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting

     Roll: A live action changing from one color to another. Typically requires dexterity to "crossfade" between two colors in the boomerang with one hand while following with the other.

   • 2013, John Holloway, Illustrated Theatre Production Guide (page 144)

     If you are spot one you should push down on the first lever on the boomerang to load frame one. Spot two should do the same with frame five. On the go, both spot ops should run their dowser levers to bring the light up on the target specified by the cue caller.

5. (RAF スラング) An early return of an aircraft whose mission was aborted, often due to technical failures.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:boomerang.

派生語

参考

• frisbee
• woomera

動詞

boomerang (三人称単数 現在形 boomerangs, 現在分詞 boomeranging, 過去形および過去分詞形 boomeranged)

1. (intransitive) To return or rebound unexpectedly, especially when the result is undesired; to backfire.
   • 1882 March 7, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Stark Munro Letters,

     "Well, there must be some flaw about this," I suggested. "If your magnet is so strong as all that, you would have your own broadside boomeranging back upon you."

   • 1899 November, "Showin' Off" in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 99, Number 594,

     "Oh," they yelled, "you could, eh? Well, let's see you do it, then! Let's see you do it! Let's see you do it! Now!" In a moment the crew of little spectators were gibing at Horace. The blow that would make Jimmie's humiliation complete! Instead, it had boomeranged Horace into the mud.

   • 1985 February 2, Ronald Reagan, Presidential Radio Address,

     Our future economic success depends on the economy growing faster than government spending. That's why raising taxes would boomerang. Economic growth would slow, revenues would decline, and the budget deficit would swell.

2. (intransitive) To travel in a curved path.
   • 1894, Henry Lawson, The Mystery of Dave Regan in Short Stories in Prose and Verse,

     He said that to the horse as it boomeranged off again and broke away through the scrub.

3. (RAF スラング) To abort a mission and return to base early.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:boomerang.

参考

• bounce back

派生した語

• → Japanese: ブーメラン

Further reading

• Discussion of the history of the etymology of the term on the Transient Languages & Cultures blog

アナグラム

• boogerman