Dictionary.com
definitions

spank

1
[spangk]

verb (used with object)

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

noun

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

RELATED WORDS

thrash, chastise, smack, flog, clobber, trim, cane, clout, blip, lick, tan, whip, belt, hide, sock, paddle, cuff, punish, punch, buffet

Nearby words

  1. spanish west africa,
  2. spanish west african,
  3. spanish windlass,
  4. spanish-american,
  5. spanish-american war,
  6. spanker,
  7. spanking,
  8. spankingly,
  9. spanner,
  10. spanrail

Origin of spank

1
First recorded in 1720–30; imitative

spank

2
[spangk]

verb (used without object)

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. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for spanked

spank

1

verb

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

noun

a slap or series of slaps with the flat of the hand

Word Origin for spank

C18: probably of imitative origin

spank

2

verb

(intr) to go at a quick and lively pace

Word Origin for spank

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
Word Origin and History for spanked

spank

v.

1727, possibly imitative of the sound of spanking. Related: Spanked; spanking. The noun is from 1785.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper