whack

plural whacks

1. countableuncountableThe sound of a heavy strike.

   Synonyms: thwack

2. countableuncountableThe strike itself.

   Saka was a threat from the first whistle; Ukraine rightly wary of him and dishing out the usual whacks.

   March 26 2023, David Hytner, “Kane and Bukayo Saka combine against Ukraine for England’s perfect Euros start”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms: thwack

3. countableuncountableThe stroke itself, regardless of its successful impact.
4. countableslanguncountableAn attempt, a chance, a turn, a go, originally an attempt to beat someone or something.

   40 bucks a whack.

   2 more examples

   C'mon. Take a whack at it.

   The number arrested is not over 600 — at $805 a whack, New Jersey has made half-a-million dollars arresting gay men.

   1989 April 15, Jon Autiello et al., “Police Cruisers Smash Queers”, in Gay Community News, page 5

5. countabledateduncountableA share, a portion, especially a full share or large portion.

   “[…] O'Cannon's a taxpayer. He pays his whack towards the upkeep of the State School up in town—”

   1938, Xavier Herbert, chapter VII, in Capricornia, New York: Appleton, page 108

   5 more examples

   I don’t care about much wine afterwards—I take my whack at dinner—I mean my share, you know; and when I have had as much as I want I toddle up to tea.

   1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 39, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC

   “It’s damned tame, whatever it is, comin’ in here at feedin’ time an’ gettin’ its whack of fish.”

   1906 May–October, Jack London, chapter 2, in White Fang, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., published October 1906, →OCLC, part 1 (The Wild), page 16

   "Look here, suppose we come along with you? We can do our whack, and when we do find them it will make things easier for all of us."

   1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 194

   For one thing I had a splendid supper when I got on board—a whack of cold, lean beef and pighells, bread, butter ad lib., tea, and plenty of good bread.

   1951, Katherine Mansfield, Letters to John Middleton Murry, 1913-1922

   There were problems over the installation of the engine and the handling. The team had paid top whack for the two Coopers, but the company gave them no help at all.

   2014, Anthony Pritchard, Grand Prix Ferrari, page 203

6. countableobsoleteuncountableA whack-up: a division of an amount into separate whacks, a divvying up.
7. UScountableobsoleteuncountableA deal, an agreement.

   It's a whack!

   1 more example

   "I'll stay if you will." "Good—that's a whack."

   1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter VI, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 70

8. countableslanguncountableA harmful outcome or repercussion.

   But I rely on you to give me the nod in time to get Cora clear off whatever happens. I can take my own whack as it comes—as I always have done.

   1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London

9. dateduncountabledisco-era drug slangPCP, phencyclidine (also wack).
10. countableslanguncountablecomputingThe backslash, ⟨ \ ⟩.

    del c:\docs\readme.txt Delete c colon whack docs whack readme dot text.

present singular third person whacks · participle present whacking · participle past whacked · past whacked

1. transitiveTo hit, slap or strike.

   The bat whacked the baseball.

   2 more examples

   Therefore he whacked the old nigger mercilessly, while a big crowd of his people watched him, thunderstruck, till some man, - I was told the chief's son, - in desperation at hearing the old chap yell, made a tentative jab with a spear at the white man - and of course it went quite easy between the shoulder-blades.

   1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 198

   G. W. Cable Rodsmen were whacking their way through willow brakes.

2. slangtransitiveTo assassinate, bump off.

   Niko Bellic: So you want me to talk to him? / Jimmy Pegorino: I want you to whack him! And after that I want you to kill all the other rats I surround myself with...

   2008 April 29, Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto 4, Take-Two Interactive, level/area: Flatline

   1 more example

   Ken Barrett, a loyalist gunman who eventually confessed to killing Mr. Finucane on orders from the paramilitary Ulster Defense Association, told a BBC investigative reporter, John Ware, that when he’d expressed reluctance about “whacking” a solicitor[…]

   2023 August 30, Megan K. Stack, Rob Stothard, “He Was Shot 14 Times at the Dinner Table. His Children Want to Know if Britain Ordered the Hit.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Synonyms: clip

3. slangtransitiveTo share or parcel out (often with up).

   to whack the spoils of a robbery

   1 more example

   When the sewer-hunters consider they have searched long enough […] the gang […] count out the money they have picked up, and proceed to dispose of the old metal, bones, rope, &c.; this done, they then, as they term it, “whack” the whole lot; that is, they divide it equally among all hands.

   1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, volume 2, London: G. Newbold, page 152

4. hobbiesTo beat convincingly; to thrash.

   The fidgety Majors were whacked 9-1 by the Kitchener Panthers at Couch and now trail their rivals 2-0 in an increasingly uncomfortable best-of-seven Intercounty Baseball League first-round series.

   2012, Ryan Pyette, Majors, Panthers play mind games, The London Free Press

5. UKTo surpass; to better.

   Recently I was over in Ireland, I love the place, proper fishing, can't whack it!

   2012, Steve Cullen, Total Flyfisher

6. SingaporeSinglishTo attempt something despite not knowing how to do it; to take on a task spontaneously and carelessly without planning.

   Miss Loi always tells her students not to anyhow whack, stay calm and know thy approach before attempting each question.

   2007 September 17, “Composite Functions – Anyhow Whack Time!”, in exampaper.com.sg

7. SingaporeSinglishTo eat something hurriedly.

comparative whacker · superlative whackest

1. alternativeAlternative spelling of wack (“annoyingly or disappointingly bad”).

   That's whack, yo!

   1 more example

   As they joked about the big butts on female celebrities and what rappers had the whackest lyrics, Malcolm paid little attention to Kalia besides squeezing her hand or grabbing her arm to hold himself up […]

   2007, Joyce E. Davis, Can't Stop The Shine, page 51