whiz

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɪz/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪz

Etymology 1

Onomatopoeic. Compare huzz, hizz, hiss.

Alternative forms

• whizz (British), wiz, wizz,

Verb

whiz (third-person singular simple present whizzes, present participle whizzing, simple past and past participle whizzed) (American spelling)

1. To make a whirring or hissing sound, similar to that of an object speeding through the air.
2. To rush or move swiftly with such a sound.
3. To throw or spin rapidly.
4. (vulgar, slang) To urinate.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:urinate

   We whizzed in the bushes.

   • 1990, Stephen King, The Moving Finger:

     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.

Derived terms

• whizzing stick
• whizzle

Translations

to make a whirring or hissing sound

• Bulgarian: фуча (bg) (fuča), свистя (svistja)
• Finnish: suhista (fi), sihistä (fi), sähistä (fi)
• German: zischen (de)
• Hungarian: süvít (hu)

to rush or move swiftly with such sound

• Bulgarian: профучавам (bg) (profučavam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 呼啸 (zh) (hūxiào)

• Finnish: humista, suhahtaa
• German: rauschen (de), düsen (de), zischen (de), schwirren (de)
• Hungarian: süvít (hu), száguld (hu)
• Portuguese: soprar com forte rugido
• Spanish: soplar con un fuerte rugido
• Urdu: جھومنا،ہلنا،

to throw or spin rapidly

• Finnish: sujauttaa

urinate — see urinate

Noun

whiz (countable and uncountable, plural whizzes)

1. A whirring or hissing sound (as above).
2. (informal) Someone who is remarkably skilled at something.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:skilled person

   He's a whiz with the computers.

   • 1987, Kerry Cue, Hang On To Your Horses Doovers, page 77:

     The chefs are veritable whizzes at arranging food on your plate to look like happy frog faces and growly clown faces.

   • 2014 December 15, Tom Kludt, “Story of the $72 million teen trader unravels”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     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.

3. (vulgar, slang, especially with the verb "take") An act of urination.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:urination

   I have to take a whiz.

4. (UK, slang, uncountable) Amphetamine.
   • 1995, “Sorted For E’s and Wizz”, in Jarvis Cocker (lyrics), Different Class, performed by Pulp:

     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

5. (UK, slang, with "the") Pickpocketing.
   • 2003, David W. Maurer, Whiz Mob, page 40:

     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 terms

• gee whiz
• take a whiz
• whiz kid
• whizzer

Translations

whirring or hissing sound

• Bulgarian: фучене (bg) n (fučene), свистене n (svistene)
• Finnish: suhahdus (fi), sihinä (fi), sihahdus (fi), sähinä, sähähdys (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ῥοῖζος m (rhoîzos)

• Hungarian: süvítés (hu)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: گڤە (gve)

someone remarkably skilled at something

• Finnish: taituri (fi), taitaja (fi), taitoniekka (fi)
• French: génie (fr) m
• German: Wunder- (de)

urination — see urination

Etymology 2

See with.

Preposition

whiz

1. (slang) Pronunciation spelling of with.