pang

Meaning

1. A paroxysm of extreme physical pain or anguish; a feeling of sudden and transitory agony; a throe.
2. A sudden sharp feeling of an emotional or mental nature, as of joy or sorrow.

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pʰæŋ/

Etymology

The origin of the noun is uncertain; it is possibly derived from Middle English *pange, perhaps an altered form of prange, prōnge (“affliction, agony, pain; pointed instrument”) as in prongys of deth (“pangs of death, death throes”), from Anglo-Latin pronga, of unknown origin. Perhaps connected with Middle Dutch prange, pranghe (“instrument for pinching”) (modern Dutch prang (“horse restraint; fetter, neck iron”)), Middle Low German prange (“pole, stake; (possibly) kind of pillory or stocks”), Old English pyngan (“to prick”). The word may thus be related to prong. The verb is derived from the noun.

New

ping

1. A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
2. A pulse of high-pitched or ultrasonic sound whose echoes provide information about nearby objects and vessels.
3. A packet which a remote host is expected to echo, thus indicating its presence.
4. An email or other message sent requesting acknowledgement.
5. Latency.
6. A means of highlighting a feature on the game map so that allied players can see it.
7. A notification.