bouncer
UK[ˈbaʊnsə(r)]US[ˈbaʊnsər]
n
a person employed at a bar, club, or party to prevent troublemakers from entering or to remove them
n
(cricket) a fast, short-pitched delivery that rises sharply up towards the batter's head
Morpheme Breakdown
bounce
er
bounce
to thump, beat
er
Etymology
the word 'bouncer' is a straightforward agent noun formation from the verb 'bounce'. the verb 'bounce' itself has an onomatopoeic origin, likely imitating the sound of a sudden impact or thump, which evolved to mean 'to rebound' or 'to move energetically'. by the mid-19th century, 'bouncer' was applied to a person whose job was to 'bounce' or eject unruly patrons from a premises, emphasizing a forceful, sudden action. the cricketing term, emerging later, analogously refers to a ball that bounces sharply and aggressively towards the batter.
Analysis
Structure: bounce + er
- bounce: of imitative origin, likely from dutch 'bonzen' meaning 'to thump, beat'. functions as the verb root.
- er: from old english '-ere', a suffix denoting a person or thing that performs an action. functions as an agent noun suffix.
Examples
the bouncer at the nightclub checked our ids thoroughly before letting us in.
he was thrown out by the bouncers after starting a fight.
the fast bowler surprised the batter with a vicious bouncer.