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fesser

to spank

verb feh-SAY Rare
Body & Health Movement

Origin: From fesse, 'buttock'

Usage Note

Fesser means to smack on the buttocks, typically of a child. In contemporary France, physical punishment of children is legally prohibited, so the word now appears mainly in historical or literary contexts, or in Québec French where it can also informally mean to hit something hard. The related noun is une fessée (a spanking).

Examples

"Autrefois, on fessait les enfants désobéissants."

Natural Translation

In the past, disobedient children were spanked.

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