English

Pronunciation

• IPA : /læʃ/
• SAMPA : /l{S/

Noun

lash (plural lashes)

1. The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which the blow is given.

   I observed that your whip wanted a lash to it. — Addison.

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.

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

5. A hair growing from the edge of the eyelid; an eyelash.
6. In carpet weaving, a group of strings for lifting simultaneously certain yarns, to form the figure.

thong of a whip

obsolete: a snare

stroke with a whip

stroke of satire or sarcasm

hair growing from the eyelid

group of strings for lifting certain yarns

Transitive verb

to lash (present participle lashing, past tense and past participle lashed)

1. To strike with a lash; to whip or scourge with a lash, or with something like one.

   We lash the pupil, and defraud the ward. — Dryden

2. To strike forcibly and quickly, as with a lash; to beat, or beat upon, with a motion like that of a lash

   the whale lashes the sea with its tail

   And big waves lash the frighted shores. — Dryden

3. To throw out with a jerk or quickly.

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

4. To scold; to berate; to satirize; to censure with severity.

   to lash vice

5. 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

strike with a lash

strike forcibly, beat as if with a lash

throw out with a jerk

scold

bind with a rope

Intransitive verb

to lash (present participle lashing, past tense and past participle lashed)

1. To ply the whip; to strike
2. To utter censure or sarcastic language.

   To laugh at follies, or to lash at vice. — Dryden

Translations

ply the whip

utter censure

See also

• lash out