whip

 
Pronunciation: /wɪp/

noun

  • 1a strip of leather or length of cord fastened to a handle, used for flogging or beating a person or for urging on an animal.
  • a blow with a whip or similar implement.
  • used to refer to something causing pain or acting as a stimulus to action: the team management had decided to crack the whip on player indiscipline
  • 2an official of a political party appointed to maintain parliamentary discipline among its members, especially so as to ensure attendance and voting in debates.
  • British a written notice from a whip requesting attendance for voting. See also three-line whip.
  • (the whip) British membership of the group of MPs that form the official, elected representation of a particular political party, together with the duties or rights associated with such membership: he resigned the Tory whip in protest at mine closures
  • 3 [mass noun] a dessert consisting of cream or eggs beaten into a light fluffy mass with fruit, chocolate, or other ingredients.
  • 5a slender, unbranched shoot or plant.
  • 6 [with modifier] North American a scythe for cutting specified crops: a grass whip
  • 7a rope-and-pulley hoisting apparatus.

verb (whips, whipping, whipped)

[with object]
  • 1beat (a person or animal) with a whip or similar instrument, especially as a punishment or to urge them on: Lewis whipped the boy twenty times
  • (of a flexible object or rain or wind) strike or beat violently: the wind whipped their faces
  • informal (of a player or team) defeat (a person or team) heavily in a sporting contest: he whipped the Brazilian 6-1, 6-2, 6-3
  • 2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] move fast or suddenly in a specified direction: he whipped round to face them
  • [with object and adverbial of direction] take out or move (something) fast or suddenly: he whipped out his revolver and shot him
  • 3beat (cream, eggs, or other food) into a froth.
  • 4British informal steal (something): the escaper had whipped his overcoat
  • 5bind (something) with spirally wound twine: the side linings are whipped or hemmed
  • sew or gather (something) with overcast stitches: she began whipping narrow lace along the top of the garment

Phrases

the whip hand

a position of power or control over someone: he had the whip hand over other members of the cabinet

whips of

Australian/NZ large quantities of: tea with whips of sugar
[ late 19th century: from British English dialect whips 'lashings']

whip someone's ass

see ass2.

Phrasal Verbs

whip in

act as whipper-in.

whip someone into

urge or rouse someone into (a specified state or position): the radio host whipped his listeners into a frenzy

whip someone up

deliberately excite or provoke someone: Dad had managed to whip himself up into a fantastic rage

whip something up

  • 1stimulate a particular feeling in someone: we tried hard to whip up interest in the products
  • 2make or prepare something, typically food, very quickly: I joined my mother in the kitchen to whip up a batch of cakes

Derivatives

whip-like

adjective

whipper

noun

Origin:

Middle English: probably from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch wippen 'swing, leap, dance', from a Germanic base meaning 'move quickly'. The noun is partly from the verb, reinforced by Middle Low German wippe 'quick movement'