Boom Is a Bang, a Pole and a Rapid Rise
A boom is a loud deep sound. Two other words with the same spelling come from Dutch and mean something quite different.
A boom is a deep resonant sound, a period of rapid growth, or a long pole. The sound is imitative. The pole is a separate word, Dutch *boom*, meaning a tree or beam, and it gives the sailing boom and the microphone boom. The economic sense grew out of the sound, from the idea of something arriving with a bang. A *sonic boom* is not one moment of noise but a shockwave that trails an aircraft continuously while it is supersonic.
- A deep sound. *A boom of thunder.*
- Rapid growth. *An economic boom.*
- A long pole. *The boom of a sail.*
- Sonic boom. *A sonic boom.*
- Dutch — *boom*, a tree. *The pole sense.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | boom | A boom. |
| Plural | booms | Booms. |
| Verb | boom | Booming. |
| Opposite | bust | Boom and bust. |
| Dutch | boom | A tree. |
- A boom rolled across the valley.Sound.
- The housing boom ended abruptly.Economy.
- Duck under the boom.Sailing.
About the sonic boom
- It is continuous, not a single event at the sound barrier
- The shockwave trails the aircraft the whole time it is supersonic
- Anyone in the path hears it as it sweeps past
- It is why Concorde could not fly supersonic over land
- Two bangs are often heard, from the nose and the tail
The sound is imitative, from the 1400s. The pole is Dutch *boom*, a tree or beam, related to English *beam*.
Is a sonic boom a one-off event?
No. The shockwave follows the aircraft for as long as it flies supersonic, and is heard by each person as it passes them.
Why is a sail spar called a boom?
From Dutch boom, a tree or beam. It is a different word from the sound, and the same root as English beam.