pompon

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A tuft or ball of material such as wool or ribbon, used as a decoration, especially on shoes, caps, or curtains.
2. n. A small buttonlike flower of some chrysanthemums and dahlias.
3. n. A ball of fluffy material, such as feathers or strips of colored paper, that is waved by cheerleaders and sports fans.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. See pumpion.
2. n. An ornamental tuft of feathers, silk, etc., for a bonnet or hat; a topknot; specifically (military), a ball of colored wool worn on the front of a shako.
3. n. A common name of Anisotremus surinamensis, of the family Hæmulidæ, found from Florida to Brazil.

Wiktionary

1. n. A bundle of yarn, string, ribbon, etc. tied in the middle and left loose at the ends, so as to form a puff or ball, as for decoration or a showy prop for cheerleading.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Any trifling ornament for a woman's dress or bonnet.
2. n. (Mil.) A tuft or ball of wool, or the like, sometimes worn by soldiers on the front of the hat (such as a shako), instead of a feather.
3. n. A hardy garden chrysanthemum having buttonlike heads of flowers.
4. n. Any of several dwarf varieties of the Provence rose.
5. n. the globe-shaped flower head characteristic of certain plants such as dahlias and chrysanthemums.
6. n. a ball-shaped cluster of ribbons or streamers held in the hand and waved by some cheerleaders at team sports contests. See pompom girl. Called also pompom.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. dusky grey food fish found from Louisiana and Florida southward
2. n. decoration consisting of a ball of tufted wool or silk; usually worn on a hat