A form of physical punishment in which a beating is applied to the buttocks.
"The school board voted unanimously against allowing private spanking as a method for disciplining students on campus grounds."
In plain English: Spanking is hitting someone's bottom with your hand as a form of punishment or discipline.
"The teacher promised that there would be no more talking after the final spanking."
Usage: Spanking refers specifically to hitting someone's bottom as a method of discipline or punishment, distinct from other forms of corporal punishment that might target different body parts. It is often used interchangeably with "spank" when describing the act itself in casual conversation about child-rearing practices.
present participle of spank
"The teacher caught him mid-spanking when he tried to sneak away from his mother's discipline."
In plain English: To spank someone is to hit their bottom with your hand as a form of punishment.
Fast and energetic.
"The kids were so full of energy that their entire day was nothing but pure spanking fun."
"The spanking new car looked like it rolled off the assembly line yesterday."
An intensifier.
"I've got to tell you, I'm absolutely spanking sick today and can't make it to work."
In plain English: Spanking is an informal way of saying that someone is being hit on the bottom with their hand or an object as punishment.
"She turned around quickly to avoid being spanked by her mother."
The word comes from combining spank, which originally meant to move energetically, with the suffix -ing. This combination created a term specifically for the act of administering such an energetic strike as punishment or discipline.