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squib (skwĭb)
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n.
1.
a. A small firecracker.
b. A broken firecracker that burns but does not explode.
2.
a. A brief satirical or witty writing or speech, such as a lampoon.
b. A short, sometimes humorous piece in a newspaper or magazine, usually used as a filler.
3. Football A squib kick.
v. squibbed, squib·bing, squibs
v.intr.
To write or utter squibs.
v.tr.
1. To write or utter squibs against; lampoon.
2. Football To kick (the ball) low on a kickoff so that it bounces along the ground.
[Probably imitative.]
squibber n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

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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