Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CAROM

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explore the archives: The throw caromed off his helmet; the baseball caromed into the coach's leg; the puck caromed toward the goal. Sportswriters love the vibrant word carom, which comes from a game played on a small field: billiards. In billiards, if you get one ball to strike another and bounce into a third, that stroke is called a carambole, a cannon, a carrom, or a carom. And in general, when something caroms, it hits something, then bounces off--meaning you can often use carom as a fun synonym of bounce. You can do the same with j___ce, meaning to move all around in a jolting, bouncing way. make your point with... "CAROM" When something caroms, it strikes one thing and then bounces off it. In other words, to carom is to smack into something and then rebound. Pronunciation: CARE um Part of speech: Intransitive verb. (Like "sleep," "skydive," and "succeed," all intransitive verbs show complete action on their own and do not do action to an object. You sleep, you skydive, you succeed, and that’s it. You don’t "sleep a bed," "skydive a plane," or "succeed a plan." Likewise, something or someone caroms.) Other forms: Caromed, caroming. "Carom" is also a noun meaning the shot or the rebound itself, but it's used only literally. How to use it: Make sure you say "CARE um" (instead of reading the word phonetically as "kuh ROM"). Things can carom toward things, carom off things, carom into things, carom through things, carom from place to place, etc., and just plain carom. To be literal, talk about cars and other vehicles that carom; baseballs, basketballs, footballs, pucks and so on that carom; and any other thrown or projected objects that carom ("the stone caromed off the wall," "the arrow caromed off the target"). To be figurative, talk about words, phrases, thoughts, and ideas that carom through your mind; people who carom from one thing to another; statistics or feelings or opinions that carom between extremes, and so on. You can call something a "carom shot" if it's a skillful, coordinated maneuver that reminds you of a ball bouncing right where the player intended. (We usually apply the phrase "carom shot" to political moves that involve redirecting attention, shuffling resources around, etc.) examples: I ducked as the volleyball caromed toward my head. It's a challenge to revise a resume for someone who's spent decades caroming from one job to another. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "carom" means when you can explain it without saying "rebound" or "bounce off." try it out: Think of a time you had a song stuck in your head. (Or, think of when an idea, a possibility, or a phrase kept running around and around in your head.) Fill in the blanks: "_____ caromed through my mind, (affecting me in a certain way)." Example: "After I heard it in the drugstore, the chorus of 'Tears of a Clown' caromed through my mind, nearly driving me bonkers." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with rhyming puzzles as we review previous words.  Examples: Someone who belts out songs in church with great gusto has ____ ___. Answer: hymn vim. And the barbecue place where you always meet up with your friends from Dallas and Houston is your _____ _____. Answer: Texas nexus. The puzzles, and their answers, will get longer and sillier as the month goes on. Click or mouse-over the link to the clue if you need it, and see each answer the following day. Enjoy! From yesterday: The first airport to schedule international commercial flights was London's Hounslow Heath Aerodrome. Though it closed in 1920, it retains a historical significance as the seed of international commercial aviation. It was a ________ ________. (Two words of three syllables each. Clue: use this word.) Answer: germinal terminal. Try this today: When you rediscovered your adorably ugly troll doll in your attic, you gripped it in both hands as excitement and pure joy filled your heart. That's a _____-______ _____ ____. (Three words: the first is hyphenated and has two syllables, and the second and third words have one syllable each. Clue: use this word.) review today's word: 1. The closest opposite of CAROM is A. RICOCHET B. SCATTER C. MISS 2.  In an impressive carom shot, the party _____. A. claimed droves of supporters from the opposing party's failed candidate B. launched a series of ads on several social media platforms C. published a detailed manifesto Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A