Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

defang

/diːˈfæŋ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.39 in modern English

Syllables: de-fang
IPA: /diːˈfæŋ/

11

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To remove the fangs from (something).

Transitive verb

verb

To render (something) harmless.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"The snake was defanged."
"The Government's new security supremo, Admiral Sir Alan West, said the danger from home-grown and foreign terrorists was at its greatest level ever, and warned that it could take up to 15 years to defang Islamic radicalism."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English fang English defang From de- + fang.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /diːˈfæŋ/

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

defangs (present, singular) defanging (participle, present) defanged (participle, past) defanged (past)

Synonyms

declaw detooth

Rhymes With

hang gang bang sang wang yang lang chang rang dang tang mustang

Questions

How do you pronounce defang?: The recorded pronunciation is /diːˈfæŋ/.
What does defang mean?: To remove the fangs from (something).
Where does defang come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English fang English defang From de- + fang.

How to pronounce defang

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “defang”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/diːˈfæŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “defang”.
Repeat and practice — Say “defang” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.