whang

See also: Whang

English

Etymology 1

Imitative. Compare wang.

Verb

whang (third-person singular simple present whangs, present participle whanging, simple past and past participle whanged)

1. (chiefly of an object) To make a noise like something moving quickly through the air.
   • 1922, E. E. Cummings, The Enormous room:

     The holder of the torch grunted, and (after pausing a second at B.'s bed to inspect a picture of perfect innocence) banged out through the door which whanged to behind him...

2. (informal, transitive) To throw with a rapid slamming motion.

   Synonyms: fling, hurl; see also Thesaurus:throw

   • 1993, Ralph Moody, Edward Shenton (illustrator), The Fields of Home, page 31:

     I don't know how long it might have gone on if Grandfather hadn't lost his temper. He swung the bridle up over his head and whanged it down across the buckskin's rump.

3. (US, Scotland, British, dialect, slang) To whack or beat.

   I ought to have whanged him one in the eye.

4. (Scotland) To slice, especially into large pieces; to chop.

Noun

whang (plural whangs)

1. (dialect, colloquial) A blow; a whack.
2. (British, Scotland, dialect, colloquial) A large piece or slice; a chunk.
3. (US, dialect, dated) A house-cleaning party.

Etymology 2

Debuccalized (/θw/ > /hw/) from Scots thwang, cognate to thong.

Alternative forms

• wang

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

whang (plural whangs)

1. (UK, US, dialect, informal, dated) A leather thong.
2. (slang) The penis.

Derived terms

• welly whanging
• whangdoodle
• whang leather

 

See also

• whangee

Anagrams

• Hwang