whizz-bang

whiz-bang

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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

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby whizz-bang

whity, whiz, whiz-bang, whiz kid, whizz, whizz-bang, whizzer, whizz kid, whizzo, whizzy, who

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

How to use whizz-bang in a sentence

The worst of all is the whizz-bang, because it doesn't give you a chance—it pounces and is on you the same moment that it bangs.
Carry On|Coningsby Dawson
They had not gone seventy yards before a "whizz-bang" burst a few yards North of the road hitting a Stretcher Bearer.
The Fifth Leicestershire|J.D. Hills
With the whizz-bang there is no hope, for there is no warning; the sound and the shell arrive almost simultaneously.
The Secret Battle|A. P. Herbert
Even a little "whizz-bang" would go through them as though they were egg-shells.
The Emma Gees|Herbert Wes McBride

The Colonel had had his leg smashed by a whizz-bang when leading his troops into action.
The Glory of the Trenches|Coningsby Dawson