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View synonyms for smack

smack

1

[ smak ]

noun

  1. a taste or flavor, especially a slight flavor distinctive or suggestive of something:

    The chicken had just a smack of garlic.

    Synonyms: savor

  2. a trace, touch, or suggestion of something.

    Synonyms: hint

  3. a taste, mouthful, or small quantity.


verb (used without object)

  1. to have a taste, flavor, trace, or suggestion:

    Your politeness smacks of condescension.

    Synonyms: suggest, taste

smack

2

[ smak ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to strike sharply, especially with the open hand or a flat object.
  2. to drive or send with a sharp, resounding blow or stroke:

    to smack a ball over a fence.

  3. to close and open (the lips) smartly so as to produce a sharp sound, often as a sign of relish, as in eating.
  4. to kiss with or as with a loud sound.

verb (used without object)

  1. to smack the lips.
  2. to collide, come together, or strike something forcibly.
  3. to make a sharp sound as of striking against something.

noun

  1. a sharp, resounding blow, especially with something flat.
  2. a smacking of the lips, as in relish or anticipation.
  3. a resounding or loud kiss.

adverb

, Informal.
  1. suddenly and violently:

    He rode smack up against the side of the house.

  2. The street runs smack into the center of town.

verb phrase

  1. Slang. to humble (an arrogant person); rebuke or criticize severely.

smack

3

[ smak ]

noun

  1. Eastern U.S. a fishing vessel, especially one having a well for keeping the catch alive.
  2. British. any of various small, fully decked, fore-and-aft-rigged vessels used for trawling or coastal trading.

smack

4

[ smak ]

noun

, Slang.

smack

1

/ smæk /

verb

  1. tr to strike or slap smartly, with or as if with the open hand
  2. to strike or send forcibly or loudly or to be struck or sent forcibly or loudly
  3. to open and close (the lips) loudly, esp to show pleasure
  4. tr to kiss noisily


noun

  1. a sharp resounding slap or blow with something flat, or the sound of such a blow
  2. a loud kiss
  3. a sharp sound made by the lips, as in enjoyment
  4. have a smack at informal.
    have a smack at to attempt
  5. smack in the eye informal.
    smack in the eye a snub or setback

adverb

  1. directly; squarely
  2. with a smack; sharply and unexpectedly

smack

2

/ smæk /

noun

  1. a sailing vessel, usually sloop-rigged, used in coasting and fishing along the British coast
  2. a fishing vessel equipped with a well for keeping the catch alive

smack

3

/ smæk /

noun

  1. See heroin
    a slang word for heroin

smack

4

/ smæk /

noun

  1. a smell or flavour that is distinctive though faint
  2. a distinctive trace or touch

    the smack of corruption

  3. a small quantity, esp a mouthful or taste

verb

  1. to have the characteristic smell or flavour (of something)

    to smack of the sea

  2. to have an element suggestive (of something)

    his speeches smacked of bigotry

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Word History and Origins

Origin of smack1

First recorded before 1000; (noun) Middle English smacke, Old English smæc; cognate with Middle Low German smak, German Geschmack “taste”; (verb) Middle English smacken “to perceive by taste, have a (specified) taste,” derivative of the noun; compare German schmacken

Origin of smack2

First recorded in 1550–60; imitative; compare Dutch, Low German smakken, German (dialectal) schmacken

Origin of smack3

First recorded in 1605–15, smack is from the Dutch word smak

Origin of smack4

First recorded in 1960–65; probably special use of smack 1; compare earlier slang schmeck with same sense (from Yiddish shmek “sniff, whiff”; compare Middle High German smecken ( German schmecken ) “to taste”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of smack1

C16: from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch smacken, probably of imitative origin

Origin of smack2

C17: from Low German smack or Dutch smak, of unknown origin

Origin of smack3

C20: perhaps from Yiddish schmeck

Origin of smack4

Old English smæc; related to Old High German smoc, Icelandic smekkr a taste, Dutch smaak

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Example Sentences

To the uninitiated, this might smack of poor taste and inappropriate timing.

On the first day of shooting, Kallai and his film crew found themselves smack-dab in the middle of a war zone.

His brother Sidronio immediately took over, and the Windy City reported no shortage of smack.

In the SMU study it was found that children lasted about 10 minutes after a smack before they started misbehaving again.

Yes, Hillary Clinton talked some smack on Barack Obama to Jeff Goldberg in that interview.

Scotch shrewdness has occasionally a certain smack of mild hypocrisy, which, however, does no harm to anyone.

The little bullet-headed Jim was drafted off to the workhouse school, and from thence to a small fishing-smack.

The new smack was flying a flag at her masthead, but Jim could not read well enough to make out the inscription on the flag.

On one grey Sunday morning a pretty smack came creeping through the fleet.

The skipper of the smack invited Jim to go below, and handed him a steaming mug of tea.

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