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fiz·zle

(fĭzəl)

intr.v. fiz·zled, fiz·zling, fiz·zles

1. To make a hissing or sputtering sound.

2. Informal To fail or end weakly, especially after a hopeful beginning.

n.
Informal

A failure.

[Early Modern English, to break wind without making noise, probably from Middle English fise, a breaking wind, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse fīsa, to break wind.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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