throw stick

8.2

A curved stick that comes back to the thrower when thrown correctly

noun

: bumerán

The children played with a throw stick at the park, enjoying its unique ability to return when thrown.

Examples

He brought down a springer, a small cousin of the branch-horn, with a throwing stick.

Fiction book (1990)
Hael thrust three throwing sticks into his belt and snatched up a javelin.

Fiction book (1990)
During the hunt, he skillfully used a throw stick designed to circle back to him for catching birds.
She practiced her aim by throwing the throw stick across the field, marveling at its curved flight.

Synonyms

boomerang

vsthrow stick

7 3.7

A curved flat piece of wood that returns when thrown correctly

is a more general curved tool not tied to a specific culture or flat shape

throwing stick

vsthrow stick

8.4

A curved wooden tool that comes back to the thrower when thrown correctly

is the same object but uses a short noun form rather than the -ing form

How Returnable

boomerang

7 3.7

throw stick

8.2

stick

686 1.0

stone

976 1.0

Surface Forms

throw stick singular

throw sticks plural

Morphology

throw + stick

The compound literally combines 'throw' + 'stick', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a stick intended to be thrown (basic function), but the crucial detail that it is curved/designed to return to the thrower is a specialized property not predictable from the constituents alone. Because the general purpose is transparent but the returning/design feature is not, the expression is partially compositional.

Etymology

Throw stick comes from the simple idea of a throw and a stick. People shaped curved wooden sticks to fly and often come back, so the name now means 'a curved stick that returns to the thrower' or 'a hunting tool used in sport'.