whip
Pronunciation: (hwip, wip), [key]
— v., n. whipped whipt, whip•ping,
—v.t.
- to beat with a strap, lash, rod, or the like, esp. by way of punishment or chastisement; flog; thrash: Criminals used to be whipped for minor offenses.
- to strike with quick, repeated strokes of something slender and flexible; lash: He impatiently whipped his leg with his riding crop.
- to drive with lashes; urge or force on with, or as with, a lash, rod, etc.
- to lash or castigate with words.
- to unite, bring together, or bring into line: The sergeant was ordered to whip the troops into line.
- to defeat or overcome: to whip the opposition; to whip a bad habit.
- to hoist or haul by means of a whip.
- to move quickly and suddenly; pull, jerk, seize, or the like, with a sudden movement (often fol. by out, in, into, etc.): He whipped his gun out of its holster.
- to fish (a stream, lake, etc.) with rod and line, esp. by making repeated casts: I whipped the stream all day and caught nothing.
- to beat (eggs, cream, etc.) to a froth with an eggbeater, whisk, fork, or other implement in order to mix in air and cause expansion.
- to overlay or cover (cord, rope, etc.) with cord, thread, or the like wound about it: to whip the end of a hawser.
- to wind (cord, twine, thread, etc.) about something: The tailor whipped the seams with heavy thread.
- to use a light overcasting stitch in sewing.
—v.i.
- to move or go quickly and suddenly; dart; whisk: She whipped into the store for some milk.
- to beat or lash about, as a pennant in the wind.
- to fish with rod and line, esp. by casting the line frequently.
- to prevent from wandering, as hounds.
- to write hurriedly: He whipped off three new songs last night.
- to whip up a delicious dinner.
- to plan or assemble quickly:to whip up a delicious dinner.
- to incite; arouse; stir:The crowd was whipped up to a frenzy.
—n.
- an instrument for striking, as in driving animals or in punishing, typically consisting of a lash or other flexible part with a more rigid handle.
- a whipping or lashing stroke or motion.
- a utensil for whipping; whisk.
- a dish made of cream or egg whites whipped to a froth with flavoring, often with fruit pulp or the like: prune whip.
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- a party manager in a legislative body who secures attendance for voting and directs other members.
- (in Britain) a written call made on members of a party to be in attendance for voting.
- a windmill vane.
- a whipper-in.
- a tackle consisting of a fall rove through a single standing blockso as to change the direction of hauling with no mechanical advantage, or consisting of a fall secured at one end and rove through a single running and a single standing blockso as to change the direction of hauling with a mechanical advantage of two, neglecting friction. Cf.See diag. under
- the wrapping around the end of a whipped cord or the like.
- Also calledeccentric rotation of a shaft having its center line slightly curved between supporting bearings.
- a branchless shoot of a woody plant, esp. one resulting from the first year's growth of a bud or graft.
- a person who uses a whip as part of his or her work, as a driver of horses or a coachman.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.