1794, "uncommonly large thing," agent noun from smash (v.); compare whopper, slapper, etc. By 1822 as "machine which crushes;" by 1829 as "a heavy blow."
Entries linking to smasher
smash v.
1759, transitive, "break to pieces," earlier "kick downstairs" (c. 1700), probably of imitative origin (compare smack (v.), mash (v.), crush (v.)). The intransitive meaning "act with crushing force" is from 1813; the transitive sense of "strike violently" is from 1835. Tennis sense is from 1882. Smash-and-grab (adj.) as a type of burglary or robbery is attested from 1927.
whopper n.
1767, "uncommonly large thing," originally and especially an audacious lie, formed as if from whop (v.) "to beat, overcome." Whopping "large, big, impressive" is attested by 1620s.
slapper n.
"large or impressive person or thing," attested by 1781 in glossaries of Northern dialect, agent noun from slap (v.). Compare whopper. By 1886 as "implement for slapping."