bullroarer

1 9.9

A flat wooden piece on a string that makes a deep whirring sound when spun for signaling or ceremonies

noun
/ˈbʊlˌroʊər/

: bullroarer

Examples

Did you know that your great-great-great-great-uncle... Bullroarer Took was so large he could ride a real horse?

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Say Mozart is born into a Stone Age tribe whose idea of music is thumping on an old bone and spinning a bullroarer.

Blog text (13)
The bullroarer is used by a number of societies on every continent to ceremonially drive away women, who are typically made to believe that it is the voice of a devouring monster.

Academic text (2016)
Bullroarers are very ancient, dating well back into the Palaeolithic period (Gregor 1985, 105-6).

Academic text (2016)
They are supported in this activity by members of Lekpedunga, who sound tusk trumpets, bullroarers, and imitate shrill animal sounds.

Academic text (2008)
The children took turns spinning the bullroarer to create a whirring sound during the ceremony.
During the festival, the elders used the bullroarer to signal the start of the traditional dance.
In several indigenous cultures, the bullroarer is an important tool for communication during rituals.

Surface Forms

bullroarer singular

bullroarers plural

Morphology

bullroarer = bull + roarer (semi-transparent) = bull + roar + er

The parts 'bull' + 'roarer' are form- and meaning-transparent, but the word refers to a specific ceremonial instrument rather than a general 'one that roars', so the full meaning is somewhat specialized.

Etymology

The word bullroarer comes from the English parts bull and roarer because the wooden tool makes a deep 'roar' like a bull when you swing it on a cord. That's why a bullroarer is a flat piece of wood on a string that makes a loud, low sound used for signaling and in ceremonies.