Skelp
/skɛlp/noun
A sharp slap or smack, or to strike someone or something with a flat object.
Did you know?Skelp is a real English word that likely arose as an expressive sound-symbolic form in Scots and northern English, which is why its punch feels so physical even before you know what it means.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
skelpen
“to strike or slap sharply; to move or go briskly”
Early Modern Scots
Scots
skelp
“a slap, blow, or brisk stroke”
18th–19th Century
English
skelp
“to beat, strike, or move quickly; also a sharp blow”
Modern English
English
skelp
“a sharp slap or smack; to strike with a flat object”