chambers_search-1

Search Chambers

Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.

Search results for 'bang':

bang1 noun 1 a sudden loud explosive noise. 2 a heavy blow. 3 coarse slang an act of sexual intercourse. 4 slang an injection of an illegal drug. verb (banged, banging) tr & intr 1 to make, or cause something to make, a loud noise by hitting, dropping or closing it violently, etc • went out and banged the door behind her. 2 to hit something sharply, especially by accident • banged her elbow on the table. 3 to make, or cause something to make, the sound of an explosion. 4 coarse slang to have sexual intercourse with someone. adverb, colloq 1 exactly • bang on time. 2 suddenly. bang goes something colloq that is the end of it • Bang go my chances of promotion. bang one's head against a brick wall to waste one's time trying to achieve something that has little or no chance of success. bang on colloq exactly on target; exactly as required. go with or go off with a bang to be a great success.
ETYMOLOGY: 16c: from Norse banga to hammer.

bang away colloq to make a continuous noise by hitting something • banging away on an old typewriter.

bang on colloq to speak at great length about something, especially repetitively and boringly • forever banging on about what he did in the war.

bang someone up slang to imprison them; to shut them up in a cell.

bang2 (usually bangs) N Amer, especially US noun hair cut in a straight line across the forehead. Brit equivalent fringe. verb (banged, banging) to cut the hair in this way.
ETYMOLOGY: 19c: probably from bangtail a short tail.