homeward bounder

Noun

homeward bounder (plural homeward bounders)

1. A vessel making a return trip to its home port or home country.
   • Here are outward bounders, and homeward bounders, apparently just about to run over each other in every direction[.]1850 December 12, The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW, page 2, column 1
   • In this way a fine homeward bounder, called the Junior, bound to Aberdeen from Callao, laden with a valuable cargo, caught the shore about eight or nine miles to the westward of Boulogne.1853 August 24, The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, NSW, page 3, column 1
2. A person making a return trip to their home country.
   • [advert] WANTED, to Sell to Homeward-bounders, a splendid King PARROT and Cedar CAGE, £2 10s.1862 October 30, The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW, page 4, column 3
   • He now expressed his regret, and said he was a homeward-bounder, and was to be paid on April 23.1870 July 6, The Wallaroo Times and Mining Journal, Port Wallaroo, SA, page 4, column 3
3. A roughly executed stitch used when repairing articles of clothing on a vessel nearing the end of a long voyage.
   • [D]o you for one moment believe that the ‘homeward bounders’ in Mrs. Faul's needlework was the head and front of Mr. Flannery's offending?1879 August 30, The Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Advertiser, NSW, page 4, column 1
   • [S]he lifted a boot, drew up into the light an oilskin trouser-leg where it was patched — homeward bounders, every stitch of them — and said in a voice obdurate as flint, "Fifteen shillings."1913 June 9, The Herald, Melbourne, page 1, column 2
4. (Australia, obsolete) A goldmine which is highly productive, making the owners rich enough to abandon mining and return to their home country.
   • A rich hole is now known as a "homeward bounder," — a name expressive of pleasure to the winner of the prize, but of sinister significance to those who remain behind.1859 April 29, The Geelong Advertiser, Victoria, page 2, column 2
   • During the last week, I have endeavoured to ascertain if possible, the number of golden shafts that have been bottomed and up to the present time the very outside is forty (40), out of these, some thirteen (13) may styled "Jeweller's shops", or "homeward bounders", ten (10) first rate claims, and...1861 December 10, The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, NSW, page 2, column 2