/ ˈfɪzl; NAmE / verb
[ v ] when sth, especially sth that is burning, fizzles , it makes a sound like a long 's'
SYN hiss
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PHRASAL VERBS
- fizzle out
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense break wind quietly ): probably imitative (compare with fizz ), but perhaps related to Middle English fist small dog , from fisting cur or hound , a derogatory term for a lapdog, from Middle English fist break wind , of West Germanic origin. Current senses date from the 19th cent.