whiz-bang
or whiz·bang, whizz-bang
[ noun hwiz-bang, wiz-; adjective hwiz-bang, wiz- ]
/ noun ˈʰwɪzˌbæŋ, ˈwɪz-; adjective ˈʰwɪzˈbæŋ, ˈwɪz- /
Save This Word!
noun
Military. a small, high-speed shell whose sound as it flies through the air arrives almost at the same instant as its explosion.
a firecracker with a similar effect.
Informal. whiz1 (def. 5).
adjective
Informal. first-rate; topnotch: a whiz-bang navigator.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of whiz-bang
First recorded in 1910–15; imitative of the sound
Words nearby whiz-bang
Whit Week, Whitworth, Whitworth screw thread, whity, whiz, whiz-bang, whiz kid, whizz, whizz-bang, whizzer, whizz kid
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021