[pom-pom] n [alter. of pompon] (1897) 1: an ornamental ball or tuft used esp. on clothing, caps, or costumes
2: a handheld usu. brightly colored fluffy ball flourished by cheerleaders
[2]pom-pom n [imit.; fr. the sound of its discharge] (1899): a multibarreled automatic antiaircraft gun of 20 to 40 millimeters mounted esp. on ships