Definition of hiss

The word "hiss" originated from the Old English word "hīsan," which means "to breathe out hishly." The Old English verb "hīsan" is derived from the Proto-Germanic root "*hīsk," which meant "to breathe out with a hissing or hissing sound." The Old English noun "hīses" (hissing) also comes from the same root. The word and its derivatives were spelled variously in Old English, including "hīsan," "hīis⚡," "hīsis," and "hīs," depending on the dialect and the position of the word in a sentence. In Middle English, the word "hisen" meaning "to breathe out hishly" became "hissen" and the noun "hisen" (hissing) became "hisyn." The modern spelling of the word "hiss" for both the noun and the verb evolved from the Middle English form. The use of "hiss" in the beaver's defense mechanism, whereby it slams its back teeth together to defend itself, also added to the word's meaning and usage. Today, the word "hiss" is commonly used to describe a hissing or whistling sound made by things like snakes or steam valves, as well as the sound made by air escaping from a balloon or tires. So overall, the word "hiss" can be traced back to ancient Germanic roots, where it originally referred to the sound made by something "breathing out hishly." Over time, its meaning and usage have evolved to cover a range of hissing sounds emitted by various things.