E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Boom.
A sudden and great demand of a thing, with a corresponding rise in its price. The rush of a ship under press of sail. The word arises from the sound of booming or rushing water.
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“The boom was something wonderful. Everybody bought, everybody sold.”—Mark Twain: Life on the Mississippi, chap. 57.
