Sizzle
/ˈsɪz.əl/noun
To make a hissing sound, especially while frying or burning.
Did you know?Unlike many words with ancient roots, sizzle is a relatively modern sound-word, and its power comes from imitation: English shaped it to mimic the hiss of something hot, wet, and alive.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
English
sizzlen
“To make a hissing or fizzing sound; to hiss or sputter with heat.”
16th-17th Century
English
sise
“An imitative hiss-like sound, likely used for the noise of frying or fizzing.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sēi-
“A proposed ancient sound base for hissing or whistling noises.”
Old English
English
sīsan
“To hiss or whistle softly.”
Modern English
English
sizzle
“To hiss and crackle with a frying or burning sound.”