babyboomer
UK[ˈbeɪbiˌbuːmə]US[ˈbeɪbiˌbuːmər]
n
a person born during a period of rapid increase in birthrates, especially following the end of World War II.
Morpheme Breakdown
baby
boomer
baby
infant
boomer
one that booms
Etymology
The term is a modern American English compound, first recorded in 1970. It directly combines 'baby', referring to the infants born in the post-war surge, with 'boomer', an agent noun from 'boom' describing a period of sudden economic and population growth. The logic is transparently demographic: the word labels the generation born during the pronounced 'boom' in births. It exemplifies how English creates precise sociological terminology through the literal combination of existing, familiar words.
Analysis
Structure: baby (infant) + boomer (one that booms)
baby: From Middle English 'babi', of imitative origin, functioning as the base noun meaning a very young child.
boomer: From the verb 'boom' (to make a deep, resonant sound; to experience rapid growth) + the agent noun suffix '-er', functioning to denote a person or thing associated with the action.
Examples
Many babyboomers are now entering retirement.
The cultural influence of the babyboomer generation has been significant.
Marketing strategies often target the spending power of babyboomers.