spank

1
[ spangk ]
See synonyms for: spankspanking on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to strike (a person, usually a child) with the open hand, a slipper, etc., especially on the buttocks, as in punishment.

noun
  1. a blow given in spanking; a smart or resounding slap.

Origin of spank

1
First recorded in 1720–30; imitative

Words Nearby spank

Other definitions for spank (2 of 2)

spank2
[ spangk ]

verb (used without object)
  1. to move rapidly, smartly, or briskly.

Origin of spank

2
First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from spanking

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spank in a sentence

  • She did not see, comin' up over the horizon, and gittin' nearer every day, the stern and horrid spank!

    The Confessions of a Daddy | Ellis Parker Butler
  • Just the night before the day of the spank, Marthy had begun to teach her her religious education.

    The Confessions of a Daddy | Ellis Parker Butler
  • Thou hast swindled the money thyself, foul spank; I know thee, though thou art new to me.

    Lorna Doone | R. D. Blackmore
  • By dint of diligent bailing they had forced their crazy dory, towed by the equally crazy “spank Me Again,” to carry them home.

    Green Eyes | Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for spank (1 of 2)

spank1

/ (spæŋk) /


verb
  1. (tr) to slap or smack with the open hand, esp on the buttocks

noun
  1. a slap or series of slaps with the flat of the hand

Origin of spank

1
C18: probably of imitative origin

British Dictionary definitions for spank (2 of 2)

spank2

/ (spæŋk) /


verb
  1. (intr) to go at a quick and lively pace

Origin of spank

2
C19: back formation from spanking ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012