/ buːm; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
IN BUSINESS / ECONOMY
1.
boom (in sth) a sudden increase in trade and economic activity; a period of wealth and success :
a boom in car sales
Living standards improved rapidly during the post-war boom.
a boom year (for trade, exports, etc.)
a property / housing boom
a chaotic period of boom and bust
—compare slump
—see also baby boom
POPULAR PERIOD
2.
[ usually sing. ] a period when sth such as a sport or a type of music suddenly becomes very popular and successful :
The only way to satisfy the golf boom was to build more courses.
ON BOAT
3.
a long pole that the bottom of a sail is attached to and that you move to change the position of the sail
—picture at yacht
SOUND
4.
[ usually sing. ] a loud deep sound :
the distant boom of the guns
—see also sonic boom
IN RIVER / HARBOUR
5.
a floating barrier that is placed across a river or the entrance to a harbour to prevent ships or other objects from coming in or going out
FOR MICROPHONE
6.
a long pole that carries a microphone or other equipment
■ verb
MAKE LOUD SOUND
1.
[ v ] to make a loud deep sound :
Outside, thunder boomed and crashed.
2.
boom (out) to say sth in a loud deep voice :
[ v speech ]
'Get out of my sight!' he boomed.
[ v ]
A voice boomed out from the darkness.
He had a booming voice .
OF BUSINESS / ECONOMY
3.
[ v ] to have a period of rapid growth; to become bigger, more successful, etc. :
By the 1980s, the computer industry was booming.
Business is booming!
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun sense 4 and verb senses 1 to 2 late Middle English (as a verb): ultimately imitative; perhaps from Dutch bommen to hum, buzz.
noun senses 1 to 2 and verb sense 3 late 19th cent. (originally US): probably from boom a loud sound .
noun sense 3 and noun senses 5 to 6 mid 16th cent. (in the general sense beam, pole ): from Dutch , beam, tree, pole ; related to beam .