different between fizzle vs gurgle

English

Etymology

Attested in English since 1525-35. From earlier fysel (“to fart”). Related to f?sa (“to fart”). Compare with Swedish fisa (“to fart (silently)”). See also feist.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?f?z?l/
• Rhymes: -?z?l

Verb

fizzle (third-person singular simple present fizzles, present participle fizzling, simple past and past participle fizzled)

1. To sputter or hiss.

   The soda fizzled for several minutes after it was poured.

   • 1616, Ben Jonson, The Devil Is an Ass

     It is the easest thing, sir, to be done, / As plain as fizzling.

2. (figuratively) To decay or die off to nothing; to burn out; to end less successfully than previously hoped.

   The entire project fizzled after the founder quit.
3. (military, of a nuclear weapon) To fail to generate the expected yield when exploded during testing.

Derived terms

• fizzler

Translations

Noun

fizzle (plural fizzles)

1. A spluttering or hissing sound.
2. (military) Failure of an exploding nuclear bomb to meet its expected yield during testing.
3. An abortive effort; a flop or dud.
4. A state of agitation or worry.

Usage notes

In the context of nuclear testing, a fizzle (an explosion with inadequate yield) is distinguished from a dud (a failure to explode at all).

Translations

Related terms

• fizz
• fizzy

English

Etymology

Back formation from Middle English gurguling (“a rumbling in the belly”). Akin to Middle Dutch gorgelen (“to gurgle”), Middle Low German gorgelen (“to gurgle”), German gurgeln (“to gargle”), and perhaps to Latin gurguli? (“throat”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????.??l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /???.??l/
• Rhymes: -??(r)??l

Verb

gurgle (third-person singular simple present gurgles, present participle gurgling, simple past and past participle gurgled)

1. To flow with a bubbling sound.

   The bath water gurgled down the drain.

   • 1728, Edward Young, The Love of Fame

     Pure gurgling rills the lonely desert trace, / And waste their music on the savage race.

2. To make such a sound.

   The baby gurgled with delight.

Translations

Noun

gurgle (plural gurgles)

1. A gurgling sound.
   • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4

     Then the conversation broke off, and there was little more talking, only a noise of men going backwards and forwards, and of putting down of kegs and the hollow gurgle of good liquor being poured from breakers into the casks.

Translations

Anagrams

• glurge, lugger

German

Verb

gurgle

1. inflection of gurgeln:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. singular imperative
   3. first/third-person singular subjunctive I