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pom

pom

1 9.9
A person from Britain who Australians or New Zealanders often call a rude name
  • noun
  • Slur
: [término despectivo para británico]
  • And we had a few Poms in the team, obviously English people.
  • pom girl
  • pom squad
  • pom hat

And we had a few Poms in the team, obviously English people.

Examples

  • He might sound like a pom, but he hardly looks like one.

  • Ed's bloody Pom is welcome to stay.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Thanks to a gold Captain's knock the Poms need just 4 more runs to win.

  • But you're a stinkin' Pom, so you'll be all right.

  • And friendly people who would give you a proper welcome, not like these stuffy Poms, if you'll pardon the expression.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Many Australians affectionately refer to British tourists as poms when they visit.

  • He joked that the poms were always getting lost in the Sydney streets.

  • During the match, the locals cheered whenever they spotted a pom in the crowd.

Compounds

22 3.9

A soft, fluffy ball made from yarn that people wave at sports games and put on hats

pom-pom
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small fast-firing gun on ships used to shoot at aircraft

pom pi pi
  • Baby Talk
9.9

A short, simple beat that keeps the rhythm in songs

Surface Forms

pom singular
poms plural

Etymology

The word pom is Australian slang for a British person. Its origin is unclear, and one popular story says it comes from pomegranate shortened to pom or from the letters P.O.M., but these ideas are not proved. A helpful way to remember pom is to think of it as a short, often cheeky name Australians use for someone from Britain.