boom Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a deep prolonged loud noise
    roar; thunder; roaring.
  2. noun a state of economic prosperity
  3. noun a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)
    gravy; windfall; bunce; bonanza; manna from heaven; gold rush; godsend.
    • the demand for testing has created a boom for those unregulated laboratories where boxes of specimen jars are processed like an assembly line
  4. noun a pole carrying an overhead microphone projected over a film or tv set
    microphone boom.
  5. noun any of various more-or-less horizontal spars or poles used to extend the foot of a sail or for handling cargo or in mooring
  6. verb make a resonant sound, like artillery
    din.
    • His deep voice boomed through the hall
  7. verb hit hard
    nail; smash; blast.
    • He smashed a 3-run homer
  8. verb be the case that thunder is being heard
    thunder.
    • Whenever it thunders, my dog crawls under the bed
  9. verb make a deep hollow sound
    boom out.
    • Her voice booms out the words of the song
  10. verb grow vigorously
    expand; flourish; thrive.
    • The deer population in this town is thriving
    • business is booming

WordNet

Boom noun
Etymology
D. boom tree, pole, beam, bar. See Beam.
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) A long pole or spar, run out for the purpose of extending the bottom of a particular sail; as, the jib boom, the studding-sail boom, etc.
  2. (Mech.) A long spar or beam, projecting from the mast of a derrick, from the outer end of which the body to be lifted is suspended.
  3. A pole with a conspicuous top, set up to mark the channel in a river or harbor. Obs.
  4. (Mil. & Naval) A strong chain cable, or line of spars bound together, extended across a river or the mouth of a harbor, to obstruct navigation or passage.
  5. (Lumbering) A line of connected floating timbers stretched across a river, or inclosing an area of water, to keep saw logs, etc., from floating away. Totten.
Boom transitive verb
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) To extend, or push, with a boom or pole; as, to boom out a sail; to boom off a boat.
Boom intransitive verb
Etymology
Of imitative origin; cf. OE. bommen to hum, D. bommen to drum, sound as an empty barrel, also W. bwmp a hollow sound; aderyn y bwmp, the bird of the hollow sound, i. e., the bittern. Cf. Bum, Bump, v. i., Bomb, v. i.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Boomed present participle & verbal noun Booming
Definitions
  1. To cry with a hollow note; to make a hollow sound, as the bittern, and some insects.
    At eve the beetle boometh Athwart the thicket lone. Tennyson.
  2. To make a hollow sound, as of waves or cannon.
    Alarm guns booming through the night air. W. Irving.
  3. To rush with violence and noise, as a ship under a press of sail, before a free wind.
    She comes booming down before it. Totten.
  4. To have a rapid growth in market value or in popular favor; to go on rushingly.
Boom noun
Definitions
  1. A hollow roar, as of waves or cannon; also, the hollow cry of the bittern; a booming.
  2. A strong and extensive advance, with more or less noisy excitement; -- applied colloquially or humorously to market prices, the demand for stocks or commodities and to political chances of aspirants to office; as, a boom in the stock market; a boom in coffee. Colloq. U. S.
Boom transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To cause to advance rapidly in price; as, to boom railroad or mining shares; to create a "boom" for; as to boom Mr. C. for senator. Colloq. U. S.

Webster 1913