psst.

n.  a type of clam.

<Throw in some sweetbreads, throw in some mountain oysters and some psst clams!  —Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer.>

n.  the hiss of a soda can, as in the comic strip “PvP” by Scott R. Kurtz; see also pfffsss, psssshhhh.


n.  the sound of a jet car flying past, as in the graphic novella Hearts and Minds by Scott McCloud.


n.  the sound of an office coffee machine that dispenses via hypodermic needle, in the comic book Hyperco by Aaron K.

psst psst.

n.  a beckoning sound.

<Don Quixote had reached this point in his piteous lament when the innkeeper’s daughter began to attract his attention by saying, “Psst, psst,” and calling to him: “Señor, please come here, if your grace doesn’t mind.”  —Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote.>

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