[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/pom/)

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# pom

noun (a pom, poms; Pom, Pommy); short forms: pom-pom, Pomeranian

«pom» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) A Pom or Pommy is an English person or a British person; it is a joking word but can sound rude. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#m1)
2. A pom is short for a pom-pom (pompom), a fluffy ball of wool or a cheerleader's bunch of ribbons. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#m2)
3. A pom is short for a Pomeranian, a small fluffy dog. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#m3)

### In the lessons

In Australian and New Zealand talk «Pom» is common in sport banter: «the Poms» are the English cricket or rugby team. It can be friendly teasing or unkind, so be careful. In craft lessons you make poms (pom-poms) from wool and card. In cheerleading, cheerleaders wave poms. Phrases: «whingeing Pom» (a joking insult), «the Poms», «wool pom».

### Examples

- The Aussies beat the Poms at cricket. (Australia, slang) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#x1)
- «G'day, mate, you a Pom?» asked the man at the beach. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#x2)
- My beanie hat has a red pom on top. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#x3)
- We made woolly poms in art class. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#x4)
- The cheerleaders shook their poms. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#x5)
- Our neighbour's pom barks at everything. (short for Pomeranian) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/#x6)

### Note

Plural «poms». For the nationality it is often written with a capital: Pom, Pommy. It is slang and may offend some English people; do not use it in formal writing. Myth: the story that it stands for «Prisoner of Mother England» is not true; most experts think it came from «pomegranate», rhyming with «immigrant».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «pom» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pom/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«pom» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/pom.html) on Mova free.