spank C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes US /spæŋk/ UK /spæŋk/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to slap on the buttocks with the open hand as punishment The exasperated parent threatened to spank the misbehaving child. Verb forms Verb forms are not available for this word yet. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to slap on the buttocks... smackslappaddleswatwallopwhack Word family Derived forms spankingspanker Etymology AI details Of imitative or echoic origin, first attested in the 18th century, the word suggesting the sharp sound of a slap. Topics Actions & Processes External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # spank **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /spæŋk/ **IPA (UK):** /spæŋk/ ## Meanings 1. to slap on the buttocks with the open hand as punishment ## Examples - The exasperated parent threatened to spank the misbehaving child. ## Synonyms - smack - slap - paddle - swat - wallop - whack ## Derived Forms - spanking - spanker ## Etymology Of imitative or echoic origin, first attested in the 18th century, the word suggesting the sharp sound of a slap. ## AI Etymology Spank is from of imitative or echoic origin, first attested in the 18th century, the word suggesting the sharp sound of a slap. Morphologically, spank is best read as imitative formation, yielding an English verb and noun shaped by both form history and later usage. In current English it functions as a verb and noun, with the sense "to slap on the buttocks with the open hand as punishment". English derivatives include spanking and spanker. The result is an English verb and noun whose etymology preserves the older forms while supporting the word's specialized modern meaning. ## Topics - Actions & Processes markdown