verb / noun
lash
LASH/læʃ/
A forceful strike or movement with a whip-like motion.
The woman lashes the practice target with a long leather whip.
Etymology
Originally meaning “deal a blow,” lash came to mean striking with a whip; a verbal attack treats harsh words as blows. Its deeper origin is unknown, though it may be imitative.
In context
How the wild winds blow it; they whip it about me as the torn shreds of split sails lash the tossed ship they cling to.
More examples
- The angry cat lashes its tail from side to side.
- One lash of the whip leaves a mark.
- Waves lash the rocks below the lighthouse.
Forms
lash · lashes · lashed · lashing