thack

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: thăk, IPA: /θæk/, X-SAMPA: /T{k/
• Rhymes: -æk

Etymology 1

From Middle English thakken (“to stroke”), from Old English þaccian (“to touch gently, stroke, tap”), from Proto-Germanic *þakwōną (“to touch lightly”), from 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 Middle English thacce, from thakken (“to stroke”). See above.

Noun

thack (plural thacks)

1. A stroke; a thwack.

Etymology 3

From Old English þæc, from Proto-Germanic *þaką, from 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 (stegos, “roof”). See also thatch.

Noun

thack (plural thacks)

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

References