From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishboomerangboo‧me‧rang1 /ˈbuːməræŋ/ noun [countable] DLOa curved stick that flies in a circle and comes back to you when you throw it, first used in Australia
Examples from the Corpus
boomerang• Conflicts that hurt others can have a boomerang effect if management senses productivity has been lowered. 2.• Hey, who needs Dad when you have a boomerang?• Holthouse says he perceived that something connected the lights in a boomerang shape.• I have read, or television has told me, about parts of space where the manmade boomerangs fly.• Diets work for some Numerous studies show both the failure rates of boomerang diets and an inherited susceptibility to obesity.boomerangboomerang2 verb [intransitive] EFFECTIVEif a plan or action boomerangs on someone, it affects them badly instead of affecting the person who it was intended to affect SYN backfire→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
boomerang• Sometimes, however, novel ideas can boomerang.• As passer-by Jane King dashed to help, the rogue car boomeranged backwards - and knocked her down.• The scheme boomeranged in both countries.• The victims' demand for capital punishment has boomeranged on them, provoking sympathy for the person they most abhor.• Developing a close relationship with your students can boomerang - you may lose their respect.Origin boomerang1 (1700-1800) Dharuk 