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

Example sentences from the Web for bullroarer

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