Lash

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /læʃ/

Definitions

1. A sudden whipping movement or a strip of material used for binding or striking
2. A sharp, quick movement resembling a whip can denote a striking force or may refer to a flexible strip employed in fastening or hitting
3. An abrupt motion akin to a whip can signify either a swift action or a long, thin piece used for striking or securing items

Etymology: The whip sense of "lash" grew out of a much humbler object: the flexible end of a whip, the thong that cracks through the air. That end was itself named for a flap or strap of cloth. Middle English "lashe" and "lasshe" meant a stroke or the trailing lash of a whip, traced back to a Proto-Germanic word for a flap of fabric or a strap. Modern cousins survive across the Germanic languages: Dutch "lasch" means a piece, seal or seam, German "Lasche" a flap, joint or tongue, and Icelandic "laski" the bottom part of a glove. So a whipping action began as a name for a dangling scrap of material. English also received a second, separate stream of the word. Middle French "lachier" came from Old French "lacier", meaning to lace, and this is tied to the idea of fastening a cord through holes. That line of descent is the source of the sense of tying or binding, which sits alongside the older whip meaning. The two strands converged in English, so the verb now covers both striking with a whip and the figurative sense of lashing out.

Synonyms: whip, strike, hit, flog, beat

Antonyms: caress, pet, touch, pamper, soothe