whiz-bang

or whiz·bang, whizz-bang

[ noun hwiz-bang, wiz-; adjective hwiz-bang, wiz- ]
/ noun ˈʰwɪzˌbæŋ, ˈwɪz-; adjective ˈʰwɪzˈbæŋ, ˈwɪz- /

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

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of whiz-bang

First recorded in 1910–15; orig. imitative

Words nearby whiz-bang

whitworth, whitworth screw thread, whity, whiz, whiz kid, whiz-bang, whiz-kid, whizz, whizz kid, whizz-bang, whizzer
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for whizz-bang

British Dictionary definitions for whizz-bang

whizz-bang

whiz-bang

noun

a small-calibre World War I shell that, when discharged, travelled at such a high velocity that the sound of its flight was heard only an instant, if at all, before the sound of its explosion
a type of firework that jumps around emitting a whizzing sound and occasional bangs

adjective

informal excellent or first-rate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012