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# squib

«squib» in Mova's school dictionary: **A small firework that burns with a hissing sound and then…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a squib, squibs)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A small firework that burns with a hissing sound and then bangs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#m1)

2) «A damp squib» (UK): something expected to be exciting that turns out to be a disappointment. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#m2)

3) A short funny or sharp piece of writing that mocks someone (old use). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#m3)

4) (Australia, informal) A coward or weakling. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday British, Irish, Australian and New Zealand talk, «a damp squib» is a let-down: «The fireworks show was a damp squib in the rain.» In safety lessons, squibs and fireworks are dangerous for children to handle. In Australian slang, «Don't be a squib» means «don't be scared».

### examples

- The party was a damp squib — nobody came. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#x1)
- The squib fizzed and popped. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#x2)
- Never pick up a firework or a squib that hasn't gone off. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#x3)
- The big final turned out to be a damp squib. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#x4)
- (Australia) Come on, don't be a squib, jump in the pool! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#x5)
- "No you don't," said the dragon in a spluttering voice, like a damp squib. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squib/#x6)

### note

«Damp squib» is often wrongly said «damp squid» — a common mistake. A damp firework fizzles instead of banging, which is where the phrase comes from.

### In the corpora

- ["A damp squib" (UK) means a disappointing failure, like a firework that does not go off.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/34-failure-and-mistakes/20/)

### Trees and pragmatics

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