noun / verb
swat
SWAHT/swɑːt/
A quick, sharp blow or the act of delivering one.
He swats a fly on the tabletop.
Etymology
Swat may come from Middle English swap, meaning “strike, smite,” with an ultimately imitative origin considered probable. That proposed connection fits the sharp blow, but the ancestry remains uncertain.
In context
they'll swat the kid on the butt. And say don't hit.
More examples
- He gave the fly a quick swat.
- The cat swatted the dangling ribbon.
- One swat knocked the insect off the table.
Forms
swat · swats · swatted · swatting
Similar words
- slap
- Usually involves an open hand rather than any quick strike.
- smack
- A sharp hit, often emphasizing the sound it makes.