lash

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.

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”).

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