English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Australian Aboriginal, most likely Dharug bumbora (a current off Dobroyd Head, Port Jackson). [1][2]

Noun

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bombora (plural bomboras)

  1. (Australia) A shallow isolated piece of reef located a distance offshore.
    • 1963, Patrick Gordon Taylor, The Sky Beyond[1], page 269:
      The superior local knowledge of the Easter Island boatmen was a distracting influence, but on the way in I had decided to anchor on the sandy patch close under the bombora.
    • 1993, Tim Winton, Land's Edge, Picador, published 2014, page 10:
      The remainder of my life was indoor stuff […] but even from school I could see the bomboras breaking way out to sea on a high swell, there at the corner of my eye.
    • 2008, Yvette Allum, The Lonely Sea, unnumbered page:
      It took Sue Dockar a good half hour to swim out to her target bombora, a moderate swim in spearfishing terms.
    • 2012, Phil Jarratt, Australia's Hottest 100 Surfing Legends, unnumbered page:
      He was also considered to be one of Australia's best big-wave riders, tackling the Queenscliff and Bare Island bomboras on the very biggest days.

Synonyms

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References

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  1. ^ 1966, Sidney J. Baker, The Australian Language, second edition, chapter XV, section 3, page 321.
  2. ^ 1933 May 27, The Bulletin, page 24, quoted in 1985, G. A. Wilkes, A Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms, second edition, Sydney University Press, →ISBNBombora is an aboriginal word applied to the high-crested wave which breaks ... over submerged rocks near the coastline.

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