pom-pom

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈpäm-ˌpäm 

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

These chic pom-pom slip-ons will only cost you $20, but certainly don’t look like it. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 20 Sep. 2024

The mother of two paired her look with red sneakers and got in the spirit on the red carpet with a couple of pom-poms ahead of the team’s home opener. —Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2024

For more target games, set out cups on a table and try to toss a ping pong ball, yarn pom-pom, or wad of paper into the cups. —Catherine Holecko, Parents, 29 July 2024

Gaga’s face was concealed and only her legs were visible until the accompanying dancers pulled back the pom-poms to reveal her visage. —Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 July 2024

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

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