Sentence:  During my first day in the woods, Raoul, the big alpha male of Rambo II, opened wide to show me his dagger-sharp canines, then sauntered by and <WSD>swatted</WSD> my calf with a stick—letting me know my place in the social order. (Low.) 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To beat off, as insects; to bat, strike, or hit.