thack

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: thăk, IPA^(key): /θæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Etymology 1

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English thakken (“to stroke”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English þaccian (“to touch gently, stroke, tap”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *þakwōną (“to touch lightly”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *tag-, *taǵ- (“to touch”). Cognate with Old Dutch þakolōn (“to stroke”), Old Norse þykkr (“a thwack, thump, blow”), Icelandic þjökka, þjaka (“to thwack, thump, beat”), Norwegian tjåka (“to strike, beat”), Latin tangō (“touch”). More at thwack, tangent.

Verb

thack (third-person singular simple present thacks, present participle thacking, simple past and past participle thacked)

1. (transitive) To strike; thump; thwack.

Etymology 2

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English thacce, from thakken (“to stroke”). See above.

Noun

thack (plural thacks)

1. A stroke; a thwack.

Etymology 3

From Middle English thak, thakk, thakke, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English þæc, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *þaką, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *teg-. Cognate with Dutch dak, Low German Dack, Danish tag (“roof”), German Dach (“roof”), Old Norse þak (“thatch, roof”). Akin to Latin toga (“garment”) and Ancient Greek στέγος (stégos, “roof”). See also thatch.

Noun

thack (countable and uncountable, plural thacks)

1. the weatherproof outer layer of a roof, often thatch specifically
   • 1952, L.F. Salzman, Building in England, page 223:

     This outer layer was generically known as 'thack', but, owing to the fact that the vast majority of buildings in early times were covered with a thacking of straw or some similar material, 'thatch' gradually acquired its modern restricted significance of straw, or reed, heling.

Verb

thack (third-person singular simple present thacks, present participle thacking, simple past and past participle thacked)

1. To cover a roof with thack.