bang

Multiple Entries:
  bang    bhang  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
bang1

▶noun

• 1 a sudden loud, sharp noise.

  ■ a sudden painful blow.

• 2 (bangs) N. Amer. a fringe of hair cut straight across the forehead.

• 3 Computing, chiefly N. Amer. the character ‘!’.

▶verb

• 1 strike or put down forcefully and noisily.

  ■ make or cause to make a sudden loud noise.

• 2 vulgar slang (of a man) have sex with.

▶adverb informal, chiefly Brit. exactly: the train arrived bang on time.

– phrases
bang for one's (or the) buck N. Amer. informal value for money.
bang goes something informal a plan or hope is suddenly or completely destroyed.
bang on Brit. informal exactly right.
get a bang out of N. Amer. informal derive excitement or pleasure from.
with a bang

• 1 abruptly.

• 2 impressively.

– phrasal verbs
bang away at informal do persistently or doggedly.
bang on about Brit. informal talk at tedious length about.
bang something out informal

• 1 play music noisily and unskilfully.

• 2 produce something hurriedly or in great quantities.

bang someone up Brit. informal imprison someone.

– origin C16: imitative, perh. of Scand. origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
bang2 /baŋ/

▶noun variant spelling of bhang.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
bhang /baŋ/ (also bang)

▶noun the leaves and flower-tops of cannabis, used as a narcotic in India.

– origin from Hindi bhāṅg.