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Hiss

//hɪs// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A sibilant sound, such as that made by a snake or escaping steam; an unvoiced fricative.

    "Their music frightful as the serpent’s hiss, And boding screech-owls make the concert full!"

  2. 2
    a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt wordnet
  3. 3
    An expression of disapproval made using such a sound.

    "[…] in open disputations ye haue bene openly conuict, ye haue bene openly driuen out of the schole with hisses […]"

  4. 4
    a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval) wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To make a hiss, a sibilant sound of air escaping. intransitive

    "As I started to poke it, the snake hissed at me."

  2. 2
    show displeasure, as after a performance or speech wordnet
  3. 3
    To call someone by hissing. transitive

    "I stepped out of my tent in Marrakech one night to get a bar of candy and caught your dose of clap when that Wac I never even saw before hissed me into the bushes."

  4. 4
    make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval wordnet
  5. 5
    To condemn or express contempt (for someone or something) by hissing. intransitive, transitive

    "The crowd booed and hissed her off the stage."

Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    express or utter with a hiss wordnet
  2. 7
    To utter (something) with a hissing sound. transitive

    "Lies oft o’erthrown with ceaseless Venom spread, Still hiss out Scandal from their Hydra Head,"

  3. 8
    move with a whooshing sound wordnet
  4. 9
    To move with a hissing sound. intransitive

    "The arrow hissed through the air."

  5. 10
    To emit or eject (something) with a hissing sound. transitive

    "The man in white pyjamas hissed soda into his glass."

  6. 11
    To whisper, especially angrily or urgently. transitive

    ""Are you quite sure of it," she hissed into his ear, "Mr Fang, Junior?""

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English hissen, probably of onomatopoeic origin (compare Arabic هَسْهَسَ (hashasa)). Compare Middle Dutch hissen, hisschen (“to chase away, shoo”), Middle Low German hissen (“to chase, hound, incite”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English hissen, probably of onomatopoeic origin (compare Arabic هَسْهَسَ (hashasa)). Compare Middle Dutch hissen, hisschen (“to chase away, shoo”), Middle Low German hissen (“to chase, hound, incite”).

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