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spank

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spank¹

  • /ˈspæŋk/
  • [ˈspæŋk]
  • /ˈspeɪ̯ŋk/ Canada, US
  • [ˈspeɪ̯ŋk] ~ /ˈspɛ̃ŋk/ Canada, US
  • [ˈspɛ̃ŋk] Canada, US

Rhymes with -æŋk

Where it comes from

Uncertain. Possibly imitative, or perhaps a special use of Etymology 2 (below) in the sense of a horse stamping its foot against the ground. There is no evidence of a relation with Portuguese espancar (“to batter, strike”).

verb spanks · spanking · spanked

  1. transitive To beat, smack or slap a person's buttocks, with the bare hand or other object, as punishment, or for sexual gratification.

    Similar: slap

  2. transitive To soundly defeat, to trounce.

    Similar: rout

  3. transitive To hit very hard. Spurs had a free-kick on the edge of the Liverpool box. Érik Lamela spanked it low into the wall, got the ball back, played it out to Christian Eriksen.

    Similar: smack

Similar: smack, thrash, trounce, thump, wallop

noun spanks

  1. An instance of spanking, separately or part of a multiple blows-beating; a smack, swat, or slap. Three men were about a foot behind my left shoulder trading off spanks on each others butts.
  2. A slapping sound, as produced by spanking.
  3. euphemistic, slang An instance of masturbation. spank bank

spank²

  • /ˈspæŋk/
  • [ˈspæŋk]
  • /ˈspeɪ̯ŋk/ Canada, US
  • [ˈspeɪ̯ŋk] ~ /ˈspɛ̃ŋk/ Canada, US
  • [ˈspɛ̃ŋk] Canada, US

Rhymes with -æŋk

Where it comes from

Uncertain. Likely of Dutch or Low German origin. Compare North Frisian spanke (“to step with pride”), Saterland Frisian spankje (“to splash”), dialectal Dutch spanken (“to limp, hobble”), Dutch spankeren (“to run away quickly, gallop off”), German Low German spenkern (“to burst, explode, shatter, splash, spray”), Danish spanke (“to strut”), Swedish spånka (“to strut proudly”); originally, equivalent to span + -k. Compare also dialectal English spang (“to leap, bound; shoot out, fling”).

verb spanks · spanking · spanked · spaink · spenk

  1. intransitive To move quickly and nimbly on foot; to stride or run at a brisk pace.
  2. intransitive To move or turn rapidly, as the gears of a machine or the sails of a ship. The ship was really spanking along.
  3. ambitransitive To shoot out or throw violently; to hurl or knock out.

noun spanks · spaink · spenk

  1. dialectal A leap or bound.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: larrup, paddle, hit, knock, strike, spank it, breech, boot, leather, smack around, warm, slap, smack up, strap, kipper, stamp

verb

Similar: smack, thrash, trounce, thump, wallop

Translations

Every language

verb to smack or slap a person's buttocks, with the bare hand or other object.

Españolnalguear, zurrar, azotar, dar paupau, dar pam-pam
日本語尻を叩く shiri o tataku
中文打屁股 dǎpìgǔ
हिन्दीथप्पड़ मारना thappaṛ mārnā
Portuguêssurrar
Françaisfesser
Deutschauf das Gesäß schlagen, den Hintern versohlen
Italianosculacciare
Русскийшлёпать šljópatʹ, отшлёпать otšljópatʹ, шлёпнуть šljópnutʹ
العربيةصَفَعَ ṣafaʕa, سَتَهَ sataha, ضَرَبَ مُؤَخَّرَة ḍaraba muʔaḵḵara

noun an instance of spanking; a smack or slap

Españolnalgada, azote, nalgazo, nadgada
中文巴掌 bāzhang
Portuguêssurra
DeutschKlaps
Русскийшлёпание šljópanije, шлепо́к šlepók

noun a slapping sound, as produced by spanking

Españolnalgada
Françaispan
Русскийшлепо́к šlepók

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Cite this
MLA

"spank." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/spank. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

spank. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/spank

Chicago

"spank." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/spank.

BibTeX
@misc{spank_2026,
  title = {spank},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/spank},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}