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# hiss

«hiss» in Mova's school dictionary: **to make a long «sss» sound, like a snake or steam escaping** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (hiss, hisses, hissed, hissing); noun (a hiss, hisses)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To hiss is to make a long «sss» sound, like a snake or steam escaping. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#m1)

2) A hiss is that sound. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#m2)

3) To hiss can mean to say something in a sharp, angry whisper. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#m3)

4) An audience may hiss to show they dislike someone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In stories hissing tells the reader about danger or anger: snakes and cats hiss as a warning, a villain hisses words. In science and everyday life it describes steam from a kettle, gas escaping, air leaking from a tyre or a fizzy drink being opened. Phrases: «hiss at», «hiss of steam», «hissed through her teeth».

### examples

- The snake hissed and raised its head. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x1)
- Our cat hisses when the neighbour's dog comes near. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x2)
- The kettle began to hiss on the stove. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x3)
- I heard a hiss as the air came out of my bike tyre. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x4)
- «Be quiet!» she hissed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x5)
- The crowd hissed at the villain in the pantomime. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x6)
- If you smell gas or hear a hiss from the cooker, tell an adult at once. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x7)
- The drink can opened with a hiss. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x8)
- “Nearer!” hissed Kaa, and they all moved again. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/#x9)

### note

Third person «hisses», plural noun «hisses». It is an imitative word (it sounds like what it means). Safety: a hissing cat or snake is warning you to keep away.

### In the corpora

- [Brass players buzz their lips into the mouthpiece; blowing without buzzing gives just a hiss.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/9-instrument-families-strings-wind-brass-percussion-keys/8/)
- [The Australian frilled lizard opens a huge neck frill and hisses to look bigger, then runs away on its back legs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/88-reptile-house-komodo-chameleons-tortoises-crocodiles/17/)
- [Snow leopards cannot roar like lions and tigers; they hiss, growl and make a puffing sound instead.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/183-mountains-of-the-world-snow-leopards-high-flying-geese-condors-and-everest-spiders/5/)
- [In spring a mallard mother marches a wobbly line of ducklings across the path while a swan hisses at anyone near its nest.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice/1/)
- [White storks are almost silent and clatter their bills to greet each other, while chicks hiss and mew before they learn to clatter.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/375-white-storks-ukraine-s-favourite-birds-and-their-journey-to-africa/10/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «hiss» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hiss/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.