SPANK
What does "SPANK" mean?
To slap someone, especially a child, on the buttocks with an open hand as punishment.
Meanings
- To strike on the buttocks with an open hand, usually as a punishment. Many parents today choose not to spank their children at all.
- To defeat decisively or thoroughly. The home side spanked the visitors five to nil. informal
- A single slap on the buttocks. The toddler got a light spank for running into the road.
Did you know?
- In 1979 Sweden became the first country in the world to outlaw all physical punishment of children, including spanking at home, and dozens of nations have since followed with similar bans.
Word origin
First recorded in the early 18th century, probably imitative of the sharp sound of an open-handed slap, much like 'smack' and 'whack'.
Remember it
SPANK sounds like the slap itself: the sharp 'sp' and the snapping 'ank' echo the smack.
Wordplay
- The football report said the home team spanked the visitors, which is the only context where adults brag about a thrashing in print.
What it teaches
A word that names a small cruelty often softens into sport once the stakes are only a scoreline.
Quick facts
What does SPANK mean?
To slap someone, especially a child, on the buttocks with an open hand as punishment.
Is SPANK a valid word?
Yes — SPANK is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is SPANK?
SPANK has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does SPANK come from?
First recorded in the early 18th century, probably imitative of the sharp sound of an open-handed slap, much like 'smack' and 'whack'.
What can SPANK teach us?
A word that names a small cruelty often softens into sport once the stakes are only a scoreline.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.