whip (wɪp
)
Definitions
verb
Word forms: whips, whipping, whipped
- to strike (a person or thing) with several strokes of a strap, rod, etc
- (tr) to punish by striking in this manner
- (tr; foll by out, away, etc) to pull, remove, etc, with sudden rapid motion ⇒
to whip out a gun
- (intr; foll by down, into, out of, etc) informal to come, go, etc, in a rapid sudden manner ⇒
they whipped into the bar for a drink
- to strike or be struck as if by whipping ⇒
the tempest whipped the surface of the sea
- (tr) to criticize virulently
- (tr) to bring, train, etc, forcefully into a desired condition (esp in the phrases whip into line and whip into shape)
- (tr) informal to overcome or outdo ⇒
I know when I've been whipped
- (tr; often foll by on, out, or off) to drive, urge, compel, etc, by or as if by whipping
- (tr) to wrap or wind (a cord, thread, etc) around (a rope, cable, etc) to prevent chafing or fraying
- (tr) nautical to hoist by means of a rope through a single pulley
- (tr) (in fly-fishing) to cast the fly repeatedly onto (the water) in a whipping motion
- (tr) (in sewing) to join, finish, or gather with whipstitch
- to beat (eggs, cream, etc) with a whisk or similar utensil to incorporate air and produce expansion
- (tr) to spin (a top)
- (tr) informal to steal ⇒
he whipped her purse
noun
- a device consisting of a lash or flexible rod attached at one end to a stiff handle and used for driving animals, inflicting corporal punishment, etc
- a whipping stroke or motion
- a person adept at handling a whip, as a coachman, etc
- (in a legislative body)
- a member of a party chosen to organize and discipline the members of his faction, esp in voting and to assist in the arrangement of the business
- a call issued to members of a party, insisting with varying degrees of urgency upon their presence or loyal voting behaviour
- (in the British Parliament) a schedule of business sent to members of a party each week. Each item on it is underlined to indicate its importance: one line means that no division is expected, two lines means that the item is fairly important, and three lines means that the item is very important and every member must attend and vote according to the party line
- an apparatus for hoisting, consisting of a rope, pulley, and snatch block
- any of a variety of desserts made from egg whites or cream beaten stiff, sweetened, and flavoured with fruit, fruit juice, etc
- See whipper-in
- a windmill vane
- transient elastic movement of a structure or part when subjected to sudden release of load or dynamic excitation
- a percussion instrument consisting of two strips of wood, joined forming the shape of a V, and clapped loudly together
- flexibility, as in the shaft of a golf club, etc
- a ride in a funfair involving bumper cars that move with sudden jerks
- a wrestling throw in which a wrestler seizes his opponent's arm and spins him to the floor
- See a fair crack of the whip
Alternative Forms
ˈwhipˌlike adjective ˈwhipper nounWord Origin
C13: perhaps from Middle Dutch wippen to swing; related to Middle Dutch wipfen to dance, German Wipfel tree topSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
lash,
cane,
birch,
switch,
crop,
scourge,
thong,
rawhide,
riding crop,
horsewhip,
bullwhip,
knout,
cat-o'-nine-tails,
=
lash,
cane,
flog,
beat,
switch,
leather,
punish,
strap,
tan,
thrash,
lick,
birch,
scourge,
spank,
castigate,
lambast(e)
flagellate,
give a hiding
Translations
- British English:
whip
A whip is a long thin piece of leather or rope fastened to a handle. It is used for hitting animals or people.wɪp NOUN
- Spanish:
látigo
nm
- French:
fouet
nm
- German:
Peitsche
nf
- Chinese: 鞭子 n
- Arabic: سَوْط n
- Portuguese: chicote nm
- Russian: кнут nm
- Croatian: bič nm
- Czech: bič nm
- Danish: pisk nutr
- Dutch: zweep n
- Finnish: ruoska n
- Greek: μαστίγιο nnt
- Italian: frusta nf
- Japanese: 鞭 n
- Korean: 채찍 n
- Norwegian: pisk nm
- Polish: bat nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: chicote nm
- European Spanish:
látigo
nm
- Swedish: piska nutr
- Thai: แส้ n
- Turkish: kırbaç n
- Vietnamese: roi da n
Usage examples
In its right hand was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it held a whip of many thongs.
, THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2004)Whites from eggs less than 5 or 6 days old will not whip up.
New Scientist (2004)The Canadian flags on both towers whip stiffly southward, like Pachter paintings.
Globe and Mail (2003)Jeffrey Donaldson teamed up with fellow "No" men David Burnside and the Rev Martin Smyth to resign the party whip at Westminster.
Belfast Telegraph (2003)I'm not advocating that people should whip off their wigs at every possible moment saying `Look, everyone, I'm bald!
, Coping With Sudden Hair Loss (1988)