What does bazoom mean?
Bazoom is an informal American slang term for a woman's breast, used almost exclusively in the plural as 'bazooms.' The word carries a distinctly comic register: it belongs to the vocabulary of jokes, novelty items, and locker-room humor rather than to clinical or literary description, and most listeners perceive it as silly or mildly vulgar rather than genuinely obscene. Its origin is uncertain, though it emerged in twentieth-century American English, possibly influenced by 'boob' or by playful sound symbolism. Because of its narrow, jokey usage, bazoom rarely appears in formal contexts, and writers seeking a neutral term would choose 'breast' or 'bosom' instead. The word's value lies chiefly in its cultural presence as a piece of comedic Americana — instantly recognizable, faintly retro, and nearly always deployed for a laugh rather than for precise anatomical reference.
nounA woman's breast; used almost exclusively in the plural as a jocular or mildly vulgar slang term.
- A woman's breast, in jocular or mildly vulgar slang usage.
"The comedian's joke about his grandmother's bazooms brought down the house."
"The novelty T-shirt read 'I ♥ Bazooms' in glittery letters."
"He averted his eyes and made a clumsy joke about bazooms to cover his embarrassment."
The plural is by far the dominant form; the singular 'bazoom' is seldom heard.
"The cartoon showed a beach bully flexing at everyone while ignoring the sunbathers' bazooms."
Bazooms are comedy's favorite punchline — a word that exists almost entirely to be laughed at rather than to describe anything seriously.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bazoom
Bazoom arose in twentieth-century American slang, though its exact origin is uncertain. It may have developed as a playful alteration of 'boob' or through humorous sound symbolism, and some accounts suggest influence from other slang forms. The word has always been informal and comic in character, and it remains confined to colloquial American usage.
How bazoom is actually used
Bazoom is informal American slang with a comic, slightly dated flavor; it is generally considered mildly vulgar but more silly than offensive. It appears overwhelmingly in the plural form 'bazooms' and is rare in serious writing.
Easily confused with bazoom
Bosom is an older, more neutral or literary word for a person's chest or breasts, while bazoom is a modern American slang term used jokingly and almost always in the plural.