boom

n. [ D. boom tree, pole, beam, bar. See Beam. ] 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A pole with a conspicuous top, set up to mark the channel in a river or harbor. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Boom iron, one of the iron rings on the yards through which the studding-sail booms traverse. --
The booms, that space on the upper deck of a ship between the foremast and mainmast, where the boats, spare spars, etc., are stowed. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Boomed p. pr. & vb. n. Booming. ] [ 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. ] 1. To cry with a hollow note; to make a hollow sound, as the bittern, and some insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

At eve the beetle boometh
Athwart the thicket lone. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make a hollow sound, as of waves or cannon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Alarm guns booming through the night air. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To rush with violence and noise, as a ship under a press of sail, before a free wind. [ 1913 Webster ]

She comes booming down before it. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To have a rapid growth in market value or in popular favor; to go on rushingly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A hollow roar, as of waves or cannon; also, the hollow cry of the bittern; a booming. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. (Naut.) To extend, or push, with a boom or pole; as, to boom out a sail; to boom off a boat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a large portable casette or compact disk player, usually having an integrated radio receiver. It typically has two (stereophonic) speakers, and can be adjusted to play at a high sound intensity, from which the name comes.
Syn. -- ghetto blaster. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, booms. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A North American rodent, so named because it is said to make a booming noise. See Sewellel. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) A large male kangaroo. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. One who works up a “boom”. [ Slang, U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A very singular missile weapon used by the natives of Australia and in some parts of India. It is usually a curved stick of hard wood, from twenty to thirty inches in length, from two to three inches wide, and half or three quarters of an inch thick. When thrown from the hand with a quick rotary motion, it describes very remarkable curves, according to the shape of the instrument and the manner of throwing it, often moving nearly horizontally a long distance, then curving upward to a considerable height, and finally taking a retrograde direction, so as to fall near the place from which it was thrown, or even far in the rear of it. [ 1913 Webster ]