Definition of cargo cult Cargo cult
car•go cult
We found 5 definitions of cargo cult from 3 different sources.
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What does cargo cult mean?
WordNet
Noun |
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| cargo cult - (Melanesia) the followers of one of several millenarian cults that believe salvation will come in the form of wealth (`cargo') brought by westerners; some ascribe divine attributes to westerners on first contact (especially to missionaries) | ||
| cult a system of religious beliefs and rituals; "devoted to the cultus of the Blessed Virgin" | ||
| cargo cult - a religious cult that anticipates a time of joy, serenity, and justice when salvation comes | ||
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Wiktionary 
- cargo cult (Noun)
Any of several unorthodox religious movements among the people of Melanesia based upon Western manufactured goods. - cargo cult (Noun)
Any of several philosophies or pseudosciences that are not rooted in experiment.
Wikipedia 
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Cargo cult is name given to several religions. These religions appeared as tribal societies came in contact with Western civilsation. There are many Cargo cults in Melanesia and New Guinea. When the first contact happened, the tribespeople saw western manufactured goods, like radios ("cargo"). They did not know how these things worked, nor how they were made. They made imitations of such goods, which of course do not work.
They imitate the behaviour they saw the Weterners do, in the hope that some spirits will send them more cargo. In other cases, such as on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, cult members worship Americans who brought the cargo.
