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whip Definition

whip (hwip, wip)

transitive verb whipped or whipt, whip·ping

  1. to move, pull, jerk, snatch, throw, etc. suddenly: usually with out, off, up, etc. to whip out a knife
    1. to strike, as with a strap or rod; lash; beat
    2. to punish in this manner
  2. to force, drive, compel, or urge by or as by whipping
  3. to strike as a whip does the rain whipped her face
  4. to attack with stinging words; flay
  5. to wind (cord or thread) around (a rope, etc.) so as to prevent fraying
  6. to fish (a stream, etc.) by making repeated casts with a rod and line
  7. to beat (egg whites, cream, etc.) with a fork, whisk, mixer, etc. so as to incorporate air and make frothy
  8. to sew (a seam or hem) with a loose, overcasting or overhand stitch
  9. Informal to defeat or outdo, as in a contest
  10. Naut. to hoist by means of a rope passing through an overhead pulley

Etymology: ME whippen < MDu wippen, to swing, move up and down < IE *weib-, to turn, swing: see vibrate

intransitive verb

  1. to move, go, or pass quickly and suddenly he whipped down the stairs
  2. to flap or thrash about in a whiplike manner flags whipping in high wind
  3. to cast with a fishing rod, using a quick, whiplike motion

noun

  1. an instrument for striking or flogging, consisting generally of a stiff or flexible rod with a lash attached to one end
  2. a blow, cut, etc. made with or as with a whip
  3. a person who uses a whip, as a coachman or a huntsman who whips on the hounds
    1. an officer of a political party, as in Congress or Parliament, who maintains discipline and enforces attendance
    2. Brit. a call issued to party members in a lawmaking body to be in attendance to vote on a certain issue a three-line whip
  4. a whipping motion
  5. a dessert made of sugar and whipped cream, stiffly beaten egg whites, or gelatin, and often fruit
  6. something resembling a whip in its action, as a windmill vane, kind of eggbeater, etc.
  7. a hoisting apparatus consisting of a single rope passing through an overhead pulley
  8. a flexible vertical rod for use as a radio antenna

Etymology: ME whippe < MDu wippe

whip Idioms

whip in

to bring together or assemble, as a party whip does

whip into shape

Informal to bring by vigorous action into the proper or desired condition

whip up

  1. to rouse; excite to whip up enthusiasm
  2. Informal to prepare quickly and efficiently
whip Synonyms

whip

n.

switch, strap, rod, birch rod, ruler, cane, lash, scourge, knotted cord, knout, cat-o'-nine-tails, thong, blacksnake, dog whip, ox whip, bull whip, horsewhip, buggy whip, riding whip, riding crop, quirt, taws.

whip Synonyms

whip

v.

  1. To flog

    thrash, flog, lash, scourge; see beat 2, punish.

  2. *To defeat

    rout, trounce, outdo; see defeat 1, 3.

  3. To stir

    beat, stir, whisk; see mix 1. See syn. study at beat.

whip Usage Examples

Object

  • cream: Serve hot or cold with whipped cream, custard or Greek yogurt.
  • hysteria: Challenge the hysteria whipped up by the press and politicians for political gain.
  • ass: So, how was he able to whip the asses of two heavily armed robbers?

Converse of object

  • resign: June 1934 Joseph Hunter ( MP for Dumfries ) resigns the Liberal whip to join the Liberal National party.
  • crack: We say things like she really cracked the whip over me, or I'm whipped!
  • defy: Two TSSA members defied the whip - Ray Gunter, who resigned from the Parliamentary Labor Party 32 and Tom Bradley.
  • withdraw: I called it a vindictive, mechanical way they withdrew the whip from Len Hurst.

Adjective modifier

  • Unionist: May 1935 Katherine Marjory Stewart Murray, Duchess of Atholl DBE ( MP for Kinross & West Perthshire ) has the Unionist whip removed.
  • chief: The Alliance Party chief whip, Mr David Ford, yesterday welcomed the aims of the report.
  • Conservative: Cllr Reg Colwill Conservative group whip, Brent Expensive penny?

Preposition: into

  • frenzy: They had been whipped into a frenzy by religious leaders.

Modifies a noun

  • antenna: The accessories include a mag mount type whip antenna with several meters of coaxial cable.
  • coral: A little deeper there is a forest of whip coral covering 30 or more square meters of the hard coral bed.

Noun used with modifier

  • three-line: In the House of Commons the Tories imposed a three-line whip to refuse the Bill of Rights a first reading.
  • newmarket: Of complaints followed the four refuse newmarket challenge whip.
  • bull: Haggis did a couple of spots with his gorgeous UV bull whip with some stunning visual effects.

Particle object:

  • hysteria: The disturbances were triggered by clashes in Nottingham the previous week around which the press whipped up anti-black hysteria.
  • hatred: The BNP are whipping up racist hatred to profit at the ballot box on June 10th.
  • storm: What was the motive of the Mail group in whipping up this media fire storm?

Preposition: in

  • cross: Scarborough whip in a fast cross which could have been dangerous.
whip Quotes

Call the roller of big cigars, The muscular one, and bid him whip In kitchen cups of concupiscent curds.

—Stevens,Wallace

When a white man in Africa by accident looks into the eyes of a native and sees the human being (which it ishis chief preoccupation to avoid), his sense of guilt, which he denies, fumes up in resentment and he brings down the whip.

—Lessing, Doris May ne¤  e Tayler

A cossack's whip wrapped in the parchment of a constitution.

—Trotsky, Leon originally Lev Davidovich Bronstein

Du gehst zu Frauen? Vergiss die Peitsche nicht! You are going to women? Do not forget the whip!

—Nietzsche, FriedrichWilhelm

When God hands you a gift, he also hands you a whip; and the whip is intended for self-flagellation solely.

—Capote,Truman

Lust carries her sharp whip At her own girdle.

—Webster,John

The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh: but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones. Many have fallen by the edge of the sword: but not so many as have fallen by the tongue.

—Bible (Apocrypha)

Browse dictionary entries near whip

  1. whiny
  2. whinstone
  3. whinny
  4. whinge
  5. whingding
  6. whine
  7. whinchat
  8. whin
  9. whimsy
  10. whimsicality
  1. whip hand
  2. whip into shape
  3. whip scorpion
  4. whip up
  5. whipcord
  6. whiplash
  7. whipped
  8. whipped cream
  9. whipper
  10. whipper-in