lash

Meaning

Noun

1. The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which the blow is given.
2. (obsolete) A leash in which an animal is caught or held; hence, a snare.
3. A stroke with a whip, or anything pliant and tough, often given as a punishment.
4. A quick and violent sweeping movement, as of an animal's tail; a swish.
5. A stroke of satire or sarcasm; an expression or retort that cuts or gives pain; a cut.
6. A hair growing from the edge of the eyelid; an eyelash.
7. In carpet weaving, a group of strings for lifting simultaneously certain yarns, to form the figure.
8. Flowering plants of genus Blepharis.
9. (Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, informal) An attempt; a go at something.
10. A quantity, a great number or amount (e.g. of rain or milk).

Verb

1. (transitive) To strike with a lash; to whip or scourge with a lash, or with something like one.
2. (transitive) To strike forcibly and quickly, as with a lash; to beat, or beat upon, with a motion like that of a lash.
3. (transitive) To throw out with a jerk or quickly.
4. (transitive) To scold; or to satirize; to censure with severity.
5. (intransitive) To ply the whip; to strike.
6. (intransitive) To strike vigorously; to let fly.
7. (intransitive) To utter censure or sarcastic language.
8. (intransitive) To fall heavily, especially in the phrase lash down.
9. Used in phrasal verbs: lash back, lash out.

Verb

To bind with a rope, cord, thong, or chain, so as to fasten.

Adj

1. (obsolete) Remiss, lax.
2. (obsolete) Relaxed.
3. Soft, watery, wet.
4. (Ulster) Excellent, wonderful.
5. (British, slang) Drunk.

Synonyms

whip

beat

flog

scourge

thrash

bind

eyelash

tie

strike

thong

hit

strap

flagellate

smack

cane

welt

trounce

slash

stroke

whiplash

flap

switch

cilium

knot

🪢

flick

horsewhip

dash

💨

rush along

whirl along

LASH

tie together

truss

speed along

tether

throw

spank

fasten

encourage

secure

lather

race

attack

👊

blow

impact

rod

tear along

discipline

cut

cuff

castigate

Translations

fouetter

pestaña

cil

ciglio

frustata

látigo

Wimper

flageller

geselen

Peitsche

azotar

lanière

sferzare

fouet

frustare

Pronounced as (IPA)

/læʃ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: lashe

Cognate with Dutch: lasch

Cognate with German: Lasche

Cognate with Swedish: lask

Cognate with Icelandic: laski

Cognate with French: lâche

In summary

From Middle English lashe, lasshe, lasche (“a stroke; the flexible end of a whip”), from Proto-Germanic *laskô (“flap of fabric, strap”).
Cognate with Dutch lasch, las (“a piece; seal; joint; notch; seam”), German Low German Laske, Lask (“a flap; dag; strap”), German Lasche (“a flap; joint; strap; tongue; scarf”), Swedish lask (“scarf”), Icelandic laski (“the bottom part of a glove”).