A loud sound of impact or collision, or used as an interjection to express a sudden noise.
From Middle English, likely onomatopoeia mimicking the sound of impact. Related to words like 'bang' and 'boom,' all developed to represent sudden loud noises.
Onomatopoeia like 'bam,' 'boom,' and 'crash' are among the oldest words in any language because humans have been imitating sounds since before writing was invented!
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