■ verb
1》 make a feeble hissing sound.
2》 ( ~ out ) end or fail in a weak or disappointing way.
■ noun a feeble hissing sound.
Origin
ME (in the sense 'break wind quietly'): prob. imitative (cf. fizz ), but perh. related to ME fist (see feisty ).
■ verb
1》 make a feeble hissing sound.
2》 ( ~ out ) end or fail in a weak or disappointing way.
■ noun a feeble hissing sound.
Origin
ME (in the sense 'break wind quietly'): prob. imitative (cf. fizz ), but perh. related to ME fist (see feisty ).
Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004