From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishslapslap1 /slæp/ ●●○ verb (slapped, slapping) 1 [transitive]HIT to hit someone with the flat part of your hand → punch Sarah slapped Aaron across the face.► see thesaurus at hit2 [transitive always + adverb/preposition]PUT to put something down on a surface with force, especially when you are angry Giles slapped his cards down on the table.3 → slap somebody on the back4 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]HIT/BUMP INTO to hit a surface with a lot of force, making a loud sharp soundslap against Small waves slapped against the side of the boat. → slap somebody down → slap something ↔ on→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
slap• She slapped a bubble-syringe into the hair at the base of the girl's neck where the mark wouldn't show.• She lay on her bed and after a while heard Betty come in again, slapping at her cheeks and arms.• I think she had a feeling I might suddenly leap up and start slapping her around.• The steam, the heat, rose up and slapped her in the face.• She slapped him across the face and stormed out of the room.• I was so angry I wanted to slap him.• Dora slapped his face and ran home.• That hurt him almost as much as when I slapped his face for not letting me escape.• She slapped me when I tried to wipe it up, but I swear she winked at me.• He slapped my back and said, Maybe so.• Mrs. Williams slapped the children's hands away from the candy.• A hand raised to slap would send her into hysterical giggles; she knew it would never be delivered.slap against• Gray sheets of rain slapped against the windowpanes.slapslap2 noun 1 HIT[countable] a quick hit with the flat part of your hand → punch Julia gave Roy a slap on the cheek.2 → a slap in the face3 → a slap on the wrist4 → a slap on the back5 [uncountable] informal make-upExamples from the Corpus
slap• It could have been a slap.• If you don't behave yourself, you'll get a slap!• Sheila woke Ted up with a slap across the face.• A slap on the neck brought him rudely out of his trance.• The sounds of thuds, screams and slaps come from below.• The harsh question was like another slap in the face.• There was a starchy department head exchanging low fives and complicated hand slaps with a kid who barely reached his knee.• They struggled until slaps and blows stopped them.gave ... slap• They just gave him a slap on the wrist then and that enabled him to go out and kill my husband.Origin slap2 (1600-1700) Low German slapp, from the sound 