whiz
Part of speech: verb
noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: Onomatopoeic. Compare huzz, hizz, hiss.
In some noun senses perhaps derived from wizard. In the sense “remarkably skilled person”, it may also simply a misspelling of its shortened form wiz, or it may be a shortening of whiz kid, which may have a different origin, perhaps whiz(z) in the sense of “something very remarkable”, attested from 1908, or the interjection (as in whizz-bang or gee whiz).
In fact, whiz(z) in the sense of “something very remarkable” may be derived from whizz-bang in the sense of “conspicuously talented”, and in military slang whizz-bang (or whizbang) can mean “an exceptionally skilful person” (attested in 1916 and later), which whiz in the same sense seems to be a shortening of (whence presumably also whiz kid).
Inflected forms:
form: whizzes
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: whizzing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: whizzed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: whizzed
pos: verb
tags: past
form: whizz
pos: verb
tags: alternative
UK
form: wiz
pos: verb
tags: alternative
form: wizz
pos: verb
tags: alternative
form: whizzes
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: whizz
pos: noun
tags: alternative
UK
form: wiz
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: wizz
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: To make a whirring or hissing sound, similar to that of an object speeding through the air.
pos: verb
tags: US
gloss: To rush or move swiftly with such a sound.
pos: verb
tags: US
gloss: To throw or spin rapidly.
pos: verb
tags: US
examples: I whizzed the ball past the catcher.
gloss: To urinate.
pos: verb
tags: US
slang
vulgar
examples: We whizzed in the bushes.
The first thing Howard did following Vi's departure was to haul the step-stool over to the kitchen sink and whiz into the drain again.
gloss: A whirring or hissing sound (as above).
pos: noun
tags: US
countable
uncountable
examples: Immediately there was a ringing and a singing in the hills, and then a whispering and a lisping and a whiz and a buzz all about him, for the little people were now some whirling round and round in the dance, and others sporting and tumbling about in the moonshine, and playing a thousand merry pranks and tricks.
gloss: Someone who is remarkably skilled at something.
pos: noun
tags: US
countable
informal
uncountable
examples: He's a whiz with the computers.
The chefs are veritable whizzes at arranging food on your plate to look like happy frog faces and growly clown faces.
It didn't take long for New York Magazine's story on a 17-year-old stock whiz with a rumored net worth of $72 million to make a splash. But the story's juicy premise unraveled almost as quickly.
gloss: An act of urination.
pos: noun
tags: US
countable
especially
slang
uncountable
vulgar
examples: I have to take a whiz.
I gotta take a whiz test to my PO / I know I failed 'cause I done smoked major weed, bro
gloss: Amphetamine.
pos: noun
tags: UK
US
slang
uncountable
examples: And I don't quite understand just what this feeling is / But that's okay cause we're all sorted out for E's and wizz
gloss: Pickpocketing.
pos: noun
tags: UK
US
countable
slang
uncountable
with-definite-article
examples: This type of pickpocket, it should be noted, is passing from the scene; most class cannons now operating are old-timers. “The only youngsters I see breaking in on the whiz are jigs, and they are coining a bebop lingo that is something. […]
Derived words: whizzing stick
whizzle
gee whiz
take a whiz
whiz kid
whizzer
Translations: