smack

smack¹ [smæk] v [T]

[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: Perhaps from Middle Dutch smacken 'to hit'. smack of 1300-1400 From smack 'taste' (11-21 centuries), from Old English smAc]

1.) to hit someone, especially a child, with your open hand in order to punish them

→↑slap

▪ the debate about whether parents should smack their children

2.) [always + adverb/preposition]

to hit something hard against something else so that it makes a short loud noise

▪ He smacked the money down on the table and walked out.

3.) smack your lips

to make a short loud noise with your lips before or after you eat or drink something to show that it is good

▪ He drained his glass and smacked his lips appreciatively.

4.) BrE informal to hit someone hard with your closed hand

= ↑punch

smack of [smack of sth] phr v

if a situation smacks of something unpleasant, it seems to involve that thing

▪ To me, the whole thing smacks of a cover-up.

smack up [smack sb up] phr v

to hit someone hard many times with your hand

▪ Don't make me come over there and smack you up.

smack ²

smack² n

[Sense: 1-2, 4; Date: 1500-1600; Origin: SMACK¹]

[Sense: 3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Perhaps from Yiddish shmek 'sniff, slight smell, small mount of snuff']

[Sense: 5; Date: 1600-1700; : Dutch; Origin: smak]

1.)

a) a hit with your open hand, especially to punish a child

→↑slap

▪ You're going to get a smack in a minute!

b) BrE informal a hard hit with your closed hand

= ↑punch

smack in the mouth/face/gob

▪ Talk like that and I'll give you a smack in the mouth.

2.) [C usually singular]

a short loud noise caused when something hits something else

▪ The book landed with a smack.

3.) [U] informal

↑heroin

4.) give sb a smack on the lips/cheek informal

to kiss someone loudly

5.)

a small fishing boat

smack ³

smack³ adv informal

1.) exactly or directly in the middle of something, in front of something etc

smack in the middle/in front of sth etc

▪ There was a hole smack in the middle of the floor.

smack bang

BrE /smack dab AmE

▪ It's smack dab in the middle of an earthquake zone.

2.) if something goes smack into something, it hits it with a lot of force

▪ The car ran smack into the side of the bus.