whip: Meaning and Definition of

whip

Pronunciation: (hwip, wip), [key]
— v., n. whipped whipt, whip•ping,
—v.t.
  1. 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.
  2. to strike with quick, repeated strokes of something slender and flexible; lash: He impatiently whipped his leg with his riding crop.
  3. to drive with lashes; urge or force on with, or as with, a lash, rod, etc.
  4. to lash or castigate with words.
  5. to unite, bring together, or bring into line: The sergeant was ordered to whip the troops into line.
  6. to defeat or overcome: to whip the opposition; to whip a bad habit.
  7. to hoist or haul by means of a whip.
  8. 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.
  9. to fish (a stream, lake, etc.) with rod and line, esp. by making repeated casts: I whipped the stream all day and caught nothing.
  10. 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.
  11. to overlay or cover (cord, rope, etc.) with cord, thread, or the like wound about it: to whip the end of a hawser.
  12. to wind (cord, twine, thread, etc.) about something: The tailor whipped the seams with heavy thread.
  13. to use a light overcasting stitch in sewing.
—v.i.
  1. to move or go quickly and suddenly; dart; whisk: She whipped into the store for some milk.
  2. to beat or lash about, as a pennant in the wind.
  3. to fish with rod and line, esp. by casting the line frequently.
  4. to prevent from wandering, as hounds.
  5. to write hurriedly: He whipped off three new songs last night.
  6. to whip up a delicious dinner.
    1. to plan or assemble quickly:to whip up a delicious dinner.
    2. to incite; arouse; stir:The crowd was whipped up to a frenzy.
—n.
  1. 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.
  2. a whipping or lashing stroke or motion.
  3. a utensil for whipping; whisk.
  4. a dish made of cream or egg whites whipped to a froth with flavoring, often with fruit pulp or the like: prune whip.
    1. a party manager in a legislative body who secures attendance for voting and directs other members.
    2. (in Britain) a written call made on members of a party to be in attendance for voting.
  5. a windmill vane.
  6. a whipper-in.
  7. 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
  8. the wrapping around the end of a whipped cord or the like.
  9. Also calledeccentric rotation of a shaft having its center line slightly curved between supporting bearings.
  10. a branchless shoot of a woody plant, esp. one resulting from the first year's growth of a bud or graft.
  11. 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.
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