lash

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /læʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æʃ

Etymology 1

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”).

Noun

lash (plural lashes)

1. The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which the blow is given.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Joseph Addison

     I observed that your whip wanted a lash to it.

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.

   The culprit received thirty-nine lashes.

4. A stroke of satire or sarcasm; an expression or retort that cuts or gives pain; a cut.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Roger L'Estrange

     The moral is a lash at the vanity of arrogating that to ourselves which succeeds well.

5. A hair growing from the edge of the eyelid; an eyelash.
   • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:

     But Richmond, his grandfather's darling, after one thoughtful glance cast under his lashes at that uncompromising countenance appeared to lose himself in his own reflections.

6. In carpet weaving, a group of strings for lifting simultaneously certain yarns, to form the figure.

Translations

thong of a whip

• Bashkir: сыбыртҡы (sïbïrtqï), ҡамсы (qamsï)
• Danish: piskesnert c
• Finnish: siima (fi)
• French: lanière (fr) f
• German: Schlag (de) m

• Italian: staffile m
• Maori: kare
• Norman: lanniéthe f
• Russian: плеть (ru) f (pletʹ), плётка (ru) f (pljótka), кнут (ru) m (knut), хлыст (ru) m (xlyst), бич (ru) m (bič), нага́йка (ru) f (nagájka)
• Welsh: carrai f, careiau f pl

obsolete: a snare

• Finnish: lieka (fi)

stroke with a whip

• Arabic: جَلْدَة‎‎ f (jalda)
• Danish: piskeslag n
• Finnish: piiskanisku, ruoskanisku, sivallus
• French: coup de fouet (fr) m
• German: Peitschenhieb (de) m

• Italian: staffilata (it) f, sferzata (it) f
• Norman: frangue f
• Russian: уда́р хлысто́м m (udár xlystóm), уда́р бичо́м m (udár bičóm), уда́р пле́тью m (udár plétʹju)
• Spanish: látigo (es) m, zurriagazo (es) m, latigazo (es) m

stroke of satire or sarcasm

• Finnish: sivallus
• Italian: sferzata (it) f

• Russian: ре́зкий упрёк m (rézkij uprjók), кри́тика (ru) f (krítika)

eyelash; hair growing from the eyelid — see eyelash

group of strings for lifting certain yarns

Verb

lash (third-person singular simple present lashes, present participle lashing, simple past and past participle lashed)

1. (transitive) To strike with a lash; to whip or scourge with a lash, or with something like one.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Dryden

     We lash the pupil, and defraud the ward. —

2. (transitive) To strike forcibly and quickly, as with a lash; to beat, or beat upon, with a motion like that of a lash.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Dryden

     the whale lashes the sea with its tail.
     And big waves lash the frighted shores.

   • 2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     Carlo Ancelotti's out-of-sorts team struggled to hit the target in the first half as Bolton threatened with Matthew Taylor lashing just wide.

3. (transitive) To throw out with a jerk or quickly.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Dryden

     He falls, and lashing up his heels, his rider throws.

4. (transitive) To scold; to berate; to satirize; to censure with severity.

   to lash vice

5. (intransitive) To ply the whip; to strike.
6. (intransitive) To utter censure or sarcastic language.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Dryden

     To laugh at follies, or to lash at vice.

7. (intransitive, of rain) To fall heavily, especially in the phrase lash down
   • 2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:

     With rain lashing across the ground at kick-off and every man in Auckland seemingly either English-born or supporting Scotland, Eden Park was transformed into Murrayfield in March.

Translations

to strike with a lash

• Arabic: جَلَدَ‎‎ (jalada)
• Esperanto: vipi
• Finnish: ruoskia (fi), piiskata (fi)

• French: fouetter (fr)
• Norman: donner du fouet
• Russian: поро́ть (ru) (porótʹ), стега́ть (ru) (stegátʹ), сечь (ru) (sečʹ), хлеста́ть (ru) (xlestátʹ)

to strike forcibly, beat as if with a lash

• Finnish: piiskata (fi)

to throw out with a jerk

• Finnish: nakata (fi)

to scold

• Finnish: suomia (fi), haukkua pystyyn
• French: gronder (fr)

• Italian: rimproverare (it)

to ply the whip

to utter censure

• Finnish: ruoskia (fi)

of rain, to fall heavily

• Finnish: sataa kaatamalla, piiskata (fi)

See also

• lash out

Etymology 2

From Middle French lachier, from Old French lacier (“to lace”)

Verb

lash (third-person singular simple present lashes, present participle lashing, simple past and past participle lashed)

1. (transitive) To bind with a rope, cord, thong, or chain, so as to fasten.

   to lash something to a spar

   lash a pack on a horse's back

Translations

to bind with a rope

• Finnish: sitoa (fi), köyttää (fi)

• Norman: lachi

Etymology 3

From Old French lasche (French lâche).

Adjective

lash (comparative more lash, superlative most lash)

1. (obsolete) Remiss, lax.
2. (obsolete) Relaxed.
3. Soft, watery, wet.
   • 1658, Sir Thomas Browne, The Garden of Cyrus (Folio Society 2007, p. 211)

     Fruits being unwholesome and lash before the fourth or fifth Yeare.

4. (Ulster) excellent, wonderful

   We’re off school tomorrow, it’s gonna be lash!

   That Chinese (food) was lash!

5. Drunk.

Anagrams

• Ahls, HLAs, shal