Lash
/læʃ/noun
To strike someone or something with a whip or a similar instrument.
Did you know?The word 'lash' is connected to ancient rituals of punishment, where physical strikes were believed to carry spiritual significance, binding the body and spirit together.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plēg-
“to strike or hit”
Old English
Old English
læsc
“a whip or a lash”
Middle English
Middle English
lasche
“to strike or whip, often used in punishment or discipline”
14th Century
Middle English
lashen
“to strike with a whip; to lash out”
Modern English
English
lash
“to strike or whip, now also used metaphorically for verbal attacks or swift movements.”