Sentence:  "A proper <WSD>switch</WSD> is a slim, flexible branch off a tree or a bush. A switch applied to the buttocks stings fiercely. It may leave red marks or bruises, but it causes no lasting damage.." 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.