bull-roarer
[ boo l-rawr-er, -rohr- ]
/ ˈbʊlˌrɔr ər, -ˌroʊr- /
noun
a wooden slat that produces a roaring sound when whirled around one's head on the end of a string or thong, used by some peoples of the world in religious ceremonies and by others as a toy.
Also called
thunderstick.
Origin of bull-roarer
First recorded in 1880–85
Words nearby bull-roarer
bull-bar,
bull-headed,
bull-necked,
bull-nosed,
bull-nosed bow,
bull-roarer,
bull.,
bulla,
bullace,
bullamakanka,
bullarium
Example sentences from the Web for bullroarer
At certain Moqui ceremonies the procession of dancers was led by a priest who whirled a bullroarer.
The sanctity of the bullroarer has been shown to be very widespread.
Though treated as a toy by Europeans, the bullroarer has had the highest mystic significance and sanctity among primitive people.
British Dictionary definitions for bullroarer
bullroarer
/ (ˈbʊlˌrɔːrə) /
noun
a wooden slat attached to a thong that makes a roaring sound when the thong is whirled: used esp by native Australians in religious rites