whooshv.
/wʊʃ/, /wuːʃ/, /hwʊʃ/, /hwuːʃ/, U.S. /(h)wuʃ/, /(h)wʊʃ/ 1. intransitive. To utter or emit a dull soft sibilant sound, like that of something rushing through the air; to move rapidly with a rushing sound.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > rate of motion > swiftness > swift movement in specific manner > move swiftly in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > move swiftly with or as with sound
thunderc1374
hurtle1509
rattle1555
skirr1567
whizz1591
brustle1638
clatter1810
whoosh1856
fizz1864
zoon1880
zing1899
skoosh1904
zoom1924
scream1943
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [verb (intransitive)] > rushing sibilant sound > swish
whish1565
whush1581
swish1756
whoosh1856
swoosh1867
hish1893
shush1975
1856 C. Dickens Let. 13 July (1995) VIII. 162 The boys..whooshing, and crying, (after Tigerish Cat No. 2) ‘French! Here she comes!’
1909 H. G. Wells Tono-Bungay (U.K. ed.) ii. ii. 163 Make it all slick, and then make it woosh.
1917 Blackwood's Mag. July 47/2 Huge projectiles whooshed noisily through the air.
1922 D. H. Lawrence Aaron's Rod (N.Y. ed.) xxi. 306 You want to whoosh off in a nice little love-whoosh and lose yourself.
1966 I. Jefferies House-surgeon viii. 156 The blood was wooshing in and Bernard nodded.
2. transitive. To cause to move rapidly with a rushing sound. Also figurative. Const. up, to enliven.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > excitement > pleasurable excitement > affect with pleasurable excitement [verb (transitive)] > make piquantly exciting
farcea1340
seasonc1520
spice1529
sauce?1534
salt1576
savour1578
cantharidize1812
whoosh1909
zap1979
the world > movement > rate of motion > swiftness > swift movement in specific manner > move or cause to move swiftly in specific manner [verb (transitive)] > cause to move swiftly with sound
whoosh1909
1909 H. G. Wells Tono-Bungay (U.K. ed.) ii. ii. 162 A Real Live Thing! Wooshing it up! Making it buzz and spin!
1920 D. H. Lawrence Touch & Go 7 A system of vacuum tubes for whooshing Bradburys about from one to the other.
1956 W. Sansom Loving Eye 102 Cars wooshed water-spray on the wet macadam.
1968 B. Hines Kestrel for Knave 27 He whooshed the curtains open and switched the light off.
1971 Sunday Express () 28 Mar. (Home Jrnl.) 2/2 (advt.) Removable Fibre-fill padlets whoosh you into high young curves, naturally.
1982 Nature 13 May 91/1 Chrétien will be the first Western astronaut to be whooshed into space by a Soviet rocket.
Derivatives
whoosh n. a sound of this nature (also reduplicated); also, an exclamation ‘whoosh!’; a movement accompanied by a rushing sound; a gushing or ‘whooshing’ style.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in specific manner > [noun] > swishing or swooshing
swish1820
swish, swish1833
swishing1860
whoosh1880
swoosh1885
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [noun] > rushing sibilant sound > swish
whish1808
swish1820
swish, swish1833
swishing1860
whoosh1880
swoosh1885
wheep1891
hish1893
whooshing1976
1880 ‘M. Twain’ Tramp Abroad xx. 194 He fetched a prodigious ‘Whoosh!’ to relieve his lungs.
1906 ‘Q’ Mayor of Troy vii With a whoo-sh a rocket leapt into the air.
1909 H. G. Wells Tono-Bungay (U.K. ed.) iii. iv. 391 Once or twice before you've stepped in—with that sort of Woosh of yours.
1915 A. Quiller-Couch Nicky-Nan ix Whenever her brush intromitted its harsh whoosh-whoosh.
1934 H. G. Wells Exper. Autobiogr. i. i. 37 Just because of that constitutional apathy it will be characteristically free from individual Woosh.
1962 ‘R. Gordon’ Doctor in Swim i. 9 We sat for a moment listening to the woosh of the jets.
1976 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 8 Nov. 16/6 When I develop a mental picture of the person I'm affecting, my objectivity goes out the window in a woosh of sympathy.
1984 Listener 14 June 32/3 We may be used to the idea of pressing buttons on commercial synthesisers and summoning whooshes of space-age sound.
Draft additions 1993
ˈwhooshing adj. and n. frequently attributive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > rate of motion > swiftness > swift movement in specific manner > [noun] > with or as with sound
whirra1400
whizzing1607
whizz1620
whizziness1839
whooshing1976
the world > movement > rate of motion > swiftness > swift movement in specific manner > [adjective] > moving swiftly with or as with sound
skirring1573
whizzing1589
zooming1904
whooshing1976
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [adjective] > making sibilant rushing sound
whooshing1976
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [noun] > rushing sibilant sound > swish
whish1808
swish1820
swish, swish1833
swishing1860
whoosh1880
swoosh1885
wheep1891
hish1893
whooshing1976
1976 Evening Standard 29 Dec. 13/2 The whooshing flares of blue and gold lit up the faces of a crowd on the grassy slopes of the Washington Monument.
1980 Musicians Only 26 Apr. 12 Flanger, a deep wooshing, sweeping sound caused by double tracking.
1986 Sunday Express Mag. 1 June 28/1 She came to the door to greet me with a great barking of dogs and whooshing of cats.
1991 Skiing (U.S.) Mar. 55/1 This same strong, active ‘whooshing’ out-breathing at the end of a turn can help in a lot of other challenging ski situations.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
whooshint.
/wʊʃ/, /wuːʃ/, /hwʊʃ/, /hwuːʃ/, U.S. /(h)wuʃ/, /(h)wʊʃ/ An exclamation evocative of or accompanying a sudden explosive rushing sound or movement.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > sudden or violent sound > explosive sound > [interjection] > explosive emission of air
poof1824
whoof1866
whoosh1899
1899 S. R. Crockett Kit Kennedy xxxvii. 261 The cravin' wad juist bank up like a water ahint a dam—and then—whoosh, awa' she gaed.
1909 H. G. Wells Tono-Bungay (U.K. ed.) ii. ii. 162 That's you, steady and long and piling-up,—then, wo-oo-oo-oo-osh.
1927 Blackwood's Mag. Apr. 488/1 John said, ‘Woosh! some armful. Look out for the eggs.’
1936 ‘R. Hyde’ Check to your King 69 The Princess..shouts ‘Whoosh!’
1949 D. Thomas Let. 13 Oct. in Sel. Lett. (1966) 328 Bills and demand notes, at me like badgers, whoosh!
1965 Family Circle Oct. 13/1 Plain lonesome? Whoosh, it's a friend.
1977 Sounds 9 July 19/2 Onstage we just go like, woosh!
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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