bang

I. vb

1.

to have sex (with), fuck. The association with striking (as in the origin of the word 'fuck' itself) is said to suggest the masculine role in sex, but in practice the unaffectionate term can also apply to women, especially in

Australian usage where it is more common than in America. In Britain 'bang' in this sense has only been widely understood since the late 1960s. It was introduced via the phrase gang bang and the following expression.

► 'You're banging a major witness in a case you're trying?!' (The Last Innocent Man, US film, 1987)

2.

American

to be an active gang member. From the parlance of Los Angeles street gangs of the late 1980s, derived from the specific sense of gangbanger.

► He's been banging for two years now.

3.

to do something stupid. An item of street slang in London since 2000.

II. n

1a.

a sexual act. An unaffectionate term used more often by men. In this sense the word does not seem to be older than the 20th century.

a quick bang

1b.

a person rated as a sexual partner

a good bang

2.

Australian

a brothel. The word is now rather archaic, but is still heard among older speakers.

3a. an exciting experience, a thrill. In this sense the word goes in and out of vogue, particularly among schoolchildren in many parts of the English-speaking world.

3b. a great success, a very popular per-son or thing

3c. an injection of illicit drugs, especially heroin, morphine or amphetamines, or the resulting jolt of pleasure. From the lexicon of drug users and addicts, origi-nating in the 1940s or earlier and related to the more recent verb bang up.