bommie

bommie

English

Alternative forms

• bommy (both senses)

Etymology 1

Clipping of bombora +‎ -ie

Noun

bommie (plural bommies)

1. (Australia) A bombora.
   • 1992, Australian Museum, Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Reef biology: a survey of Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, South Pacific, National Gallery of Australia

     Some solitary corals, such as Cycloseris, were present at the base of the bommie.

   • 2003, John Singe, My Island Home: A Torres Strait Memoir, Univ. of Queensland Press →ISBN, page 130

     A large bommie the shape of an onion extends from the main reef on the northern side, and here were two dark crevices favoured by coral trout.

   • 2015, M. Allan Daly, Pacific Illusion, Dog Ear Publishing →ISBN, page 83

     The bommie was bustling: fish were coming and going, digging and biting, feeding and fighting on all points of the bommie.

Etymology 2

From bonfire, with /n/ changed to /m/ by assimilation with /f/, and the second element then clipped and replaced with +‎ -ie.

Noun

bommie (plural bommies)

1. (Britain) A bonfire.
   • 2004, James Riordan, Football Stories, Oxford University Press, USA →ISBN, page 99

     We've got to find where they hid it — before Bommie Night.

   • 2012, Margaret Murphy, The Dispossessed, Hachette UK →ISBN

     'We could go down London Road, collect a bit more for Bommie Night.' Jez suggested. Hallowe'en was still not past and they had used up all their firework stocks.

   • 2014, James Marsh, A 1940s Childhood: From Bomb Sites to Children's Hour, The History Press →ISBN

     The blackout curtains make a super 'bommie', which is lit as soon as it's dark enough on this wonderful day.

   • 2014, Trevor Hoyle, Down the Figure 7, Hachette UK →ISBN

     'Not that daft if it stops their bommie getting nicked.' Jack winked at Terry. 'You can't have a bonfire without any wood. We're all looking forward to it, aren't we? Roasted spuds, black peas, treacle toffee, parkin...'

Anagrams

• mombie