boogum
- noun
- /ˈbuːɡəm/
- Baby Talk
- At bedtime, her father joked that a friendly boogum lived under the stairs.
Examples
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The children screamed and ran when they thought a boogum was hiding in the closet.
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Look out for the boogum hiding under your bed!
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He made a silly face and pretended to be a boogum to make his little brother laugh.
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The children were scared of the boogum in the closet.
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The children screamed and ran when they thought a boogum was hiding in the closet.
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At bedtime, her father joked that a friendly boogum lived under the stairs.
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He made a silly face and pretended to be a boogum to make his little brother laugh.
Synonyms
An imaginary monster adults mention to scare children into behaving
An imaginary creature parents mention to frighten children
A small, playful monster or ghost used with children
A small naughty creature in stories blamed for little pranks
Surface Forms
Etymology
Boogum feels like the same playful idea as bogey or the bogeyman, old names for small scary creatures. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine a tiny, silly ghost that children pretend about, which is why boogum means a playful 'ghost' or 'monster'.