Meanings
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1
noun
a loud, sharp, resonant sound, especially one made by a forceful impact
The rifle's whang echoed across the frozen field.
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2
intj
used to represent a sudden loud impact or resonant report
Whang went the metal gate as the wind slammed it shut.
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3
verb
to strike, throw, or propel with force, or to make a loud resonant sound
Loose branches whang against the roof during the storm.
Thesaurus
Etymology
The sound noun is imitative, recorded from the eighteenth century for a sharp resonant report and later used as a verb. A separate dialectal noun meaning 'thong' comes through Scots thwang from the same Germanic family as thong; the forceful-striking verb has been influenced by both histories.