Swoosh
/swuːʃ/noun
A rushing, hissing, or whistling sound, or the act of moving with that sound.
Did you know?Unlike ancient words with occult roots, *swoosh* is a relatively modern sound-symbolic creation, showing how English can invent words that feel like the thing they describe.
Etymological Timeline
Late 19th Century
English
swoosh
“A newly formed sound word imitating a rushing or hissing noise.”
Late 19th Century
English
swish
“A similar onomatopoeic word for a hissing or rustling sound.”
Old English
English
swīgan
“To be silent, to cease making noise; related to a family of sound-imitating and sound-describing forms.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swey-
“A root associated with whistling, hissing, or making a sound with air movement.”