Smack vs. Smock — What's the Difference?

Smack refers to a sharp, often loud slap or blow typically given with the hand. When someone gets hit with a smack, it suggests a quick and possibly harsh impact. The sound of a smack is distinctive, often associated with a sharp, slapping noise. Conversely, a smock is a type of clothing, an overgarment that's usually loose and worn to protect the clothes underneath. One would wear a smock while painting or doing any messy work to avoid staining their clothes.

While smack is most commonly used to describe the act of hitting or the sound associated with it, it can also convey the notion of a slight taste or flavor, or doing something with a sudden audible impact. Smock, on the other hand, is quite specific in its application; it has a utilitarian purpose, designed to be worn over regular clothes to shield them from getting dirty, without any connotations of sound or taste.

Smack, in another context, can be a noun describing a specific taste or flavor, as in "a smack of garlic". It can also be a verb indicating hitting with an open hand. Smock doesn't share this variety and maintains its singular meaning as a noun, signifying a protective garment. Therefore, you might taste a smack of something but never a smock, and you could smock your clothes, but not smack them in this sense.

If we consider slang usage, "smack" can also mean to kiss noisily or to have a characteristic taste or flavor, or it can be a street name for heroin. "Smock" has no such alternative meanings in slang or colloquial use. Smack has versatility in language that smock does not possess.

In summary, while "smack" can be a verb or a noun with several meanings including a blow, a sound, or a taste, "smock" is strictly a noun with a singular utilitarian meaning in clothing. Their only commonality is phonetic; they start with 'sm' and are single-syllable words, but their meanings and uses are entirely distinct.