pompon
pompon Lexical Profile
pompon Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An ornamental ball or tuft of fibrous material such as wool, feathers, or ribbon, worn on clothing (especially hats and shoes) or used for decoration; a large tuft of paper or plastic strips shaken by cheerleaders.
"She knitted a warm winter beanie topped with a fluffy white yarn pompon."
A cultivated variety of chrysanthemum or dahlia characterized by small, tightly packed, globular flower heads composed of short, rounded florets.
"The florist arranged a vibrant autumn bouquet featuring bronze and yellow chrysanthemum pompons."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'pom-pom' is the most common spelling in everyday usage for cheerleaders' tufts and hat decorations, 'pompon' (pronounced identically by many speakers) remains the standard botanical spelling for globular varieties of dahlias and chrysanthemums.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-18th century from French 'pompon', originally referring to a small ornamental knot of ribbon or feathers worn in the hair, probably of expressive or reduplicative origin.