Definition of dumdum

The word "dumdum" has its origins in the Bengali language, where it is used to describe cooked rice that has been shaped into balls and then fried or steamed. This dish, called "gomta" in Bengali, was traditionally served to British soldiers during the colonial period in India. The British soldiers nicknamed the dish "dumdum" because of the sound it made when it was thrown or dropped onto a plate or the ground. The term "dumdum" in this context can be interpreted as a simplified form of "tomtom," which is the Bengali word for the sound produced by a drum beat. The association between the word "dumdum" and bullets, which led to the term being used as a derogatory term for intellectually or mentally impaired individuals, seems to have originated during the Anglo-Bengal War of 1876. During this conflict, the British army began using small, explosive bullets, commonly known as Dum-Dum bullets, in their weapons. These bullets were specifically designed to cause maximum damage to the enemy's bodies, and their namesake, the dumdum rice dish, may have been mistakenly associated with the injury and devastation caused by these bullets. Over time, the term "dumdum" came to be used as a slur against intellectually challenged individuals, and this usage is still prevalent in some parts of the world as a derogatory term. However, the original meaning of the word, as a description for a type of rice dish, is still in use among the Bengali community today.