smack1
- a taste or flavor, especially a slight flavor distinctive or suggestive of something: The chicken had just a smack of garlic.
- a trace, touch, or suggestion of something.
- a taste, mouthful, or small quantity.
- to have a taste, flavor, trace, or suggestion: Your politeness smacks of condescension.
Origin of smack1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comsmack2
- to strike sharply, especially with the open hand or a flat object.
- to drive or send with a sharp, resounding blow or stroke: to smack a ball over a fence.
- to close and open (the lips) smartly so as to produce a sharp sound, often as a sign of relish, as in eating.
- to kiss with or as with a loud sound.
- to smack the lips.
- to collide, come together, or strike something forcibly.
- to make a sharp sound as of striking against something.
- a sharp, resounding blow, especially with something flat.
- a smacking of the lips, as in relish or anticipation.
- a resounding or loud kiss.
- suddenly and violently: He rode smack up against the side of the house.
- directly; straight: The street runs smack into the center of town.
- smack down, Slang. to humble (an arrogant person); rebuke or criticize severely.
Origin of smack2
smack3
- Eastern U.S. a fishing vessel, especially one having a well for keeping the catch alive.
- British. any of various small, fully decked, fore-and-aft-rigged vessels used for trawling or coastal trading.
Origin of smack3
smack4
Origin of smack4
Henderson
- Arthur,1863–1935, British statesman and labor leader: Nobel Peace Prize 1934.
- David Brem·ner [brem-ner] /ˈbrɛm nər/, 1840–1906, U.S. political leader: Speaker of the House 1899–1903.
- FletcherSmack, 1898–1952, U.S. jazz pianist, arranger, and bandleader.
- a city in NW Kentucky, on the Ohio River.
- a city in SE Nevada, near Las Vegas.
- a city in N North Carolina.
- a town in E Texas.
Related Words
squarely, bang, sharp, straight, right, square, plumb, blow, box, spank, tap, buffet, pat, sock, punch, slap, chop, blip, cuff, cloutExamples from the Web for smack
Contemporary Examples
To the uninitiated, this might smack of poor taste and inappropriate timing.
In One Corner of Syria, Christmas Spirit Somehow Manages to SurvivePeter Schwartzstein
December 25, 2014
His brother Sidronio immediately took over, and the Windy City reported no shortage of smack.
In the SMU study it was found that children lasted about 10 minutes after a smack before they started misbehaving again.
The Adrian Peterson Beating and the Christian Right's Love of Corporal PunishmentAmanda Marcotte
September 16, 2014
Yes, Hillary Clinton talked some smack on Barack Obama to Jeff Goldberg in that interview.
Now, they are smack dab in the middle of a GOP primary in Mississippi.
Historical Examples
My eyes ached and my lips prinkled with the smack of the powder.
Micah ClarkeArthur Conan Doyle
The deck of the smack below promised to mash the American into a pulp.
The Cruise of the Dry DockT. S. Stribling
She called him her "slapjack" and would tell him to come and have his smack!
It's wrong of them to smack her, for she will never put up with it.
FruitfulnessEmile Zola
I can't; last time I saw him he said when he caught me again he'd smack my head.
The Golden AgeKenneth Grahame
smack1
- a smell or flavour that is distinctive though faint
- a distinctive trace or touchthe smack of corruption
- a small quantity, esp a mouthful or taste
- to have the characteristic smell or flavour (of something)to smack of the sea
- to have an element suggestive (of something)his speeches smacked of bigotry
Word Origin
smack2
- (tr) to strike or slap smartly, with or as if with the open hand
- to strike or send forcibly or loudly or to be struck or sent forcibly or loudly
- to open and close (the lips) loudly, esp to show pleasure
- (tr) to kiss noisily
- a sharp resounding slap or blow with something flat, or the sound of such a blow
- a loud kiss
- a sharp sound made by the lips, as in enjoyment
- have a smack at informal, mainly British to attempt
- smack in the eye informal, mainly British a snub or setback
- directly; squarely
- with a smack; sharply and unexpectedly
Word Origin
smack3
- a slang word for heroin
Word Origin
smack4
- a sailing vessel, usually sloop-rigged, used in coasting and fishing along the British coast
- a fishing vessel equipped with a well for keeping the catch alive
Word Origin
Henderson
- Arthur. 1863–1935, British Labour politician. As foreign secretary (1929–31) he supported the League of Nations and international disarmament; Nobel peace prize 1934
Word Origin and History for smack
n.1
"a taste, flavor, savor" especially a slight flavor that suggests something, from Old English smæc "taste; scent, odor," from Proto-Germanic *smak- (cf. Old Frisian smek, Middle Dutch smæck, Dutch smaak, Old High German smac, German Geschmack, Swedish smak, Danish smag), from a Germanic and Baltic root *smeg- meaning "to taste" (cf. Lithuanian smaguriai "dainties," smagus "pleasing"). Meaning "a trace (of something)" is attested from 1530s.
v.1
"make a sharp noise with the lips," 1550s, probably of imitative origin (see smack (v.2)). With adverbial force, "suddenly, directly," from 1782; extended form smack-dab is attested from 1892, American English colloquial (slap-dab is from 1886).
n.3
single-masted sailboat, 1610s, probably from Dutch or Low German smak "sailboat," perhaps from smakken "to fling, dash" (see smack (v.2)), perhaps so-called from the sound made by its sails. French semaque, Spanish zumaca, Italian semacca probably are Germanic borrowings.
n.4
"heroin," 1942, American English slang, probably an alteration of schmeck "a drug," especially heroin (1932), from Yiddish schmeck "a sniff."
v.2
"to slap a flat surface with the hand," 1835, from smack (n.) in this sense; perhaps influenced by Low German smacken "to strike, throw," which is likely of imitative origin (cf. Swedish smak "slap," Middle Low German smacken, Frisian smakke, Dutch smakken "to fling down," Lithuanian smagiu "to strike, knock down, whip").
v.3
mid-13c., "to smell (something"); mid-14c., "to taste (something), perceive by taste" (transitive); late 14c. "to have a taste, taste of" (intransitive), from smack (n.1). Cf. Old English smæccan "to taste," Old Frisian smakia Middle Dutch smaecken, Old High German smakken "have a savor, scent, or taste," German schmecken "taste, try, smell, perceive." Sometimes also smatch. Now mainly in verbal figurative use smacks of ... (first attested 1590s). "Commonly but erroneously regarded as identical with [smack (n.2)], as if 'taste' proceeds from 'smacking the lips.'" [Century Dictionary]
n.2
"smart, sharp sound made by the lips," 1560s, from smack (v.1). Meaning "a loud kiss" is recorded from c.1600. Meaning "sharp sound made by hitting something with the flat of the hand" is from c.1746.
smack
(smăk)- Heroin.