Colaphist
/ˈkɒl.ə.fɪst/noun
A person who strikes or slaps another person.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek religious and biblical vocabulary connected with kolaphizō, “to strike or buffet,” a verb used for the physical abuse described in the New Testament.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κόλαφος (kolaphos)
“A blow, especially a blow delivered with the hand or fist”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κολαφίζω (kolaphizō)
“To strike, buffet, or slap repeatedly”
Late Latin
Latin
colaphizare
“To buffet or strike; a borrowing from Greek”
Medieval Latin
Latin
colaphus
“A slap or blow”
16th–17th Century
English
colaphist
“A person who strikes or administers blows”
Modern English
English
colaphist
“One who slaps or strikes another”