Definition

1. Verb:

   • To crash a vehicle, especially a car or aircraft: To cause or be involved in a collision, typically resulting in damage. This usage is particularly common in British informal English.
   • To bomb a target successfully (dated, military slang): To hit a target accurately with bombs from an aircraft.

2. Noun:

   • A crash involving a car or aircraft: An instance of a vehicle collision or accident.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • He pranged his new car on the way home from the dealership.
  • During the war, the pilot pranged several enemy supply depots.
• Noun:
  • She had a nasty prang on the motorway but wasn't seriously hurt.
  • The old plane was scrapped after its final prang.

Advanced Usage

• The verb is often used transitively (e.g., ).
• As a noun, it is typically preceded by an article like "a" or "the" (e.g., ).
• The military sense (to bomb) is now largely historical and associated with World War II RAF slang.

Variants and Related Words

• Prong (noun/verb): A different word meaning a pointed projection or to pierce. Do not confuse with "prang."
• Crash (noun/verb): A more common and formal synonym for an accident or collision.
• Smash (noun/verb): Another informal synonym for a violent collision.

Synonyms

• Verb (crash): Collide, smash, wreck.
• Noun (crash): Accident, collision, smash-up (informal), wreck.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs.)

Related Idioms

(There are no common idioms specifically featuring the word "prang.")

Noun

1. a crash involving a car or plane

Verb

1. crash