■ verb
1》 break or cause to break violently into pieces.
↘( ~ down ) violently knock down.
2》 crash and severely damage (a vehicle).
↘( ~ into ) hit or collide with forcefully.
3》 (in sport) strike (the ball) or score (a goal, run, etc.) with great force.
↘(in tennis, badminton, and similar sports) strike (the ball or shuttlecock) downwards with a hard overarm stroke.
4》 completely defeat, destroy, or foil.
■ noun
1》 an act, instance, or sound of ~ing.
2》 (also ~ hit ) informal a very successful song, film, or show.
3》 a mixture of spirits (typically brandy) with flavoured water and ice.
■ adverb with a sudden ~.
Origin
C18 (asnoun): prob. imitative, representing a blend of words such as smack , smite with bash , mash , etc.