spanker

English

Etymology

From spank +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /spæŋkə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /spæŋkɚ/
• Rhymes: -æŋkə(ɹ)

Noun

spanker (plural spankers)

1. Someone who spanks.
2. An instrument used to give someone a spanking or spank, such as a paddle.
3. (nautical) A fore-and-aft gaff-rigged sail on the aft-most mast of a square-rigged vessel.
   • 1839, Charlotte Elizabeth, Glimpses of the Past:

     beyond the broad white wing of the spanker sail

4. (dated, music) A musician who plays his instrument well.
5. (obsolete, UK, dialect) A small coin.
   • 1772, The Town and Country Magazine, volume 4, page 344:

     Egad, Jack, I am glad to see you, for I want a few spankers.

6. (dated) One who takes long, quick strides in walking.
7. (dated) A swift horse.
8. (dated, slang) Something very large, or larger than usual; a whopper.
9. (dated, slang) Something splendid; a fine example of its kind.
   • 2015, Alan Bennett, The Lady in the Van:

     I like the new vehicle. A real spanker. Not a mark on it. Particularly as regards the bodywork.

   • 2002, Catherine Cookson, The Silent Lady:

     Well, you would say […] you didn't know what kind of carpet it was. It could be from Timbuktu or John O'Groats or anywhere else. But Dixon seems to know his stuff, and he said it's a spanker and that he would've had it himself, only it's too big for his front room.

Synonyms

• (gaff-rigged sail): blooper, tallboy

Derived terms

• plank spanker
• spankermast

Translations

someone who spanks

• Esperanto: pugfrapadanto, pugfrapadantino
• Finnish: piiskaaja
• French: fesseur (fr) m, fesseuse (fr) f
• Italian: castigatore (it) m, punitore (it) m, che sculaccia

instrument used for spanking

fore-and-aft gaff-rigged sail

• Chinese:

  Hokkien: ē kah-ko

• Italian: randa (it) f
• Russian: бизань (ru) (bizanʹ)

Anagrams

• Karpens, sparken, pankers