Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

smurf attack

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.11 in modern English

Syllables
smur-f at-tack
IPA
22
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A largely obsolete form of denial-of-service attack, involving broadcasting ICMP packets with the intended victim's IP address to a large computer network, causing the victim's computer to be overwhelmed by the response packets from the network.

Etymology

In reference to the Smurf cartoon characters, suggesting a large number of small attackers overwhelming a larger opponent.

Inflected Forms

smurf attacks (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

smurfable

Questions

What does smurf attack mean?
A largely obsolete form of denial-of-service attack, involving broadcasting ICMP packets with the intended victim's IP address to a large computer network, causing the victim's computer to be overwhelmed by the response packets from the network.
Where does smurf attack come from?
In reference to the Smurf cartoon characters, suggesting a large number of small attackers overwhelming a larger opponent.

How to pronounce smurf attack

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