Library / English Dictionary

WHIZ

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: whizzed    , whizzes    , whizzing   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A buzzing or hissing sound as of something traveling rapidly through the air

Example:

he heard the whiz of bullets near his head

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("whiz" is a kind of...):

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

Derivation:

whiz (make a soft swishing sound)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

Synonyms:

ace; adept; champion; genius; hotshot; maven; mavin; sensation; star; superstar; virtuoso; whiz; whizz; wiz; wizard

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("whiz" is a kind of...):

expert (a person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "whiz"):

track star (a star runner)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make a soft swishing sound

Example:

the car engine purred

Synonyms:

birr; purr; whir; whirr; whiz; whizz

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "whiz" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

whiz (a buzzing or hissing sound as of something traveling rapidly through the air)

Credits

 Context examples: 

But wilder yet was the cry, and shriller still the scream, when there rose up from the shadow of those silent bulwarks the long lines of the English bowmen, and the arrows whizzed in a deadly sleet among the unprepared masses upon the pirate decks.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, Sir Richard Causton, Sir Simon Burley, Black Simon, Johnston, a hundred and fifty archers, and forty-seven men-at-arms had fallen, while the pitiless hail of stones was already whizzing and piping once more about their ears, threatening every instant to further reduce their numbers.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Fly, my lady, fly! he screeched, and whizzed past them like bolt from bow; while close behind came lumbering a huge black bear, with red tongue lolling from his mouth, and a broken chain jangling behind him.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)