[Chiefly northern; perhaps from Scand.; cf. Sw. basa to baste, whip, flog, lash, Da. baske to beat, strike, cudgel. But possibly onomatopoetic, with the b of beat, bang, and the termination of dash, gash, gnash, hash, lash, pash, smash, etc.]
1. To strike with a heavy blow that tends to beat or smash in the surface struck: a. trans. Also To bash up (the edge or point of an instrument).
1790. A. Wilson, Pack, Wks. 26. Fir’d wi’ indignance I turn’d round, And basht wi’ mony a fung The Pack, that day.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge (1863), 200. The callant has … bashed my neb as saft as pap.
1882. Pall Mall Gaz., 24 April, 2/2. A proposition to ‘smash’ or ‘bash’ in the tall hats aforesaid.
b. refl. (of a hen beating her wings in the dust.)
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (1856), 110. The henne … will alsoe bashe her in the dust, and so oftentimes crush them to death.
c. absol. or intr. (with at.)
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xi. (1859), 255. The gun is loaded. The negro continued to bash at it with all his might.
2. The verb-stem is used adverbially with other verbs. Cf. BANG v.1 8.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xviii. (1859), 511. A fine preserved Pine Apple flew bash on Isaac Shingle’s sharp snout.
