SMACK  , a

general term for a small decked or half-decked vessel, sailing under various rigs and used principally for fishing . The word, like so many sea terms, was borrowed from the Dutch, where smak, earlier smacke, is the name of a coasting vessel; it is generally taken as a corruption of snack, cf . Swed. sndcka, Dan. snackke, a small sailing-vessel, and is to be referred to the root seen in " snake," " snail," the original meaning a gliding, creeping thing . " Smack," taste, and"smack," a smart sounding blow or slap, also used of the sound of the lips in kissing or tasting, must be distinguished . In the first case the word is in O.E. smaec and is common to Teutonic languages, cf . Dan. smag, Ger. schmecken, &c.; the second word is onomatopoeic, cf . " smash," and is also found in other Teutonic languages . It is not connected with the word meaning " taste," though no doubt confused owing to the sense of smacking the lips .