hiss

¹

[ his ]

verb (used without object)

1. to make or emit a sharp sound like that of the letter s prolonged, as a snake does, or as steam does when forced under pressure through a small opening.
2. to express disapproval or contempt by making this sound:

   The audience hissed when the actor forgot his lines.

   Synonyms: heckle, razz, boo

verb (used with object)

1. to express disapproval of by hissing:

   The audience hissed the controversial play.

2. to silence or drive away by hissing (usually followed by away, down, etc.):

   They hissed down the author when he tried to speak.

   Synonyms: heckle, razz, boo

3. to utter with a hiss.

noun

1. a hissing sound, especially one made in disapproval.

Hiss

²

[ his ]

noun

1. Alger, 1904–96, U.S. public official, accused of espionage 1948 and imprisoned for perjury 1950–54.

hiss

¹

/ hɪs /

noun

1. a voiceless fricative sound like that of a prolonged s
2. such a sound uttered as an exclamation of derision, contempt, etc, esp by an audience or crowd
3. electronics receiver noise with a continuous spectrum, caused by thermal agitation, shot noise, etc

interjection

1. an exclamation of derision or disapproval

verb

1. intr to produce or utter a hiss
2. tr to express with a hiss, usually to indicate derision or anger
3. tr to show derision or anger towards (a speaker, performer, etc) by hissing

Hiss

²

/ hɪs /

noun

1. HissAlger19041996MUSPOLITICS: politician Alger. 1904–96, US government official: imprisoned (1950–54) for perjury in connection with alleged espionage activities

Derived Forms

• ˈhisser, noun

Other Words From

• hisser noun
• hissing·ly adverb
• outhiss verb (used with object)
• un·hissed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hiss¹

1350–1400; Middle English hissen; probably imitative; compare Old English hyscan to jeer at, rail (derivative of husc jeering; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German hosc )

Word History and Origins

Origin of hiss¹

C14: of imitative origin

Example Sentences

The cascading raindrops, the hiss of cars on glistening streets, the splashes of pedestrians striding through puddles, all showed up.

From Washington Post

Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, engineers at Bell Labs, were stymied by a persistent hiss in the house-sized, horn-like antenna they were repurposing for radio astronomy.

From Science News

He stumbled upon a hiss coming from somewhere in the constellation Sagittarius, in the direction of the center of the galaxy.

From Science News

The highs sound a little crunchy and there’s a very slight hiss when no sound is happening.

From Popular-Science

The contention was that a sellout was taking place led by, of all people, Richard Nixon, who originally exposed Alger Hiss.

From The Daily Beast

Others hiss at reporters they disagree with, creating a toxic and tense environment.

From The Daily Beast

When the hiss of reptiles turns to words, you hear something that you have never heard and will never forget.

From The Daily Beast

Back in 2005, for instance, he argued that the U.S. housing bubble was starting to hiss badly.

From The Daily Beast

Smith's method usually gives good results, as does also the more simple method of Hiss (p. 263).

From Project Gutenberg

When it is inconvenient to stain before the smears have dried, capsules can be shown by the method of Hiss.

From Project Gutenberg

With an explosive hiss, gray jets of live steam erupted from pipes around the edge of the room.

From Project Gutenberg

And Edom shall be desolate: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all its plagues.

From Project Gutenberg

As the leader finished her remarks Mrs. Haight brought her teeth together with a snap and shot through them a little hiss.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• catcall
• hoot