bull-roarer

American  

[bool-rawr-er, -rohr-] / ˈbʊlˌrɔr ər, -ˌroʊr- /

noun

1. a wooden slat that produces a roaring sound when whirled around one's head on the end of a string or thong, used by some peoples of the world in religious ceremonies and by others as a toy.

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Etymology

Origin of bull-roarer

First recorded in 1880–85

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bull-roarer

But Greek mysteries retained the daubing with mud and the use of the bull-roarer.

From Custom and Myth New Edition by Andrew Lang

The bull-roarer has been, and is, a sacred and magical instrument in many and widely separated lands.

From Custom and Myth New Edition by Andrew Lang

In South Africa, Mr. Tylor has proved that the bull-roarer is employed to call the men only to the celebration of sacred functions, and the instrument itself is described in Theal's Kaffir Folklore.

From Storyology Essays in Folk-Lore, Sea-Lore, and Plant-Lore by Benjamin Taylor

A number of artifacts, specifically the tubular stone pipes, human hair cape, cane whistles, and the probable bull-roarer, were associated with shamans among the historic peoples of the peninsula.

From A Burial Cave in Baja California The Palmer Collection, 1887 by William C. Massey

A number of questions are naturally suggested by the bull-roarer.

From Custom and Myth New Edition by Andrew Lang

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