whip

[ wip, hwip ]

/ wɪp, ʰwɪp /

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See synonyms for: whip / whipped / whipping / whipper on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), whipped or whipt, whip·ping.

to beat with a strap, lash, rod, or the like, especially 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 urge or force on with, or as with, a lash, rod, etc.

to lash or castigate with words.

to train or organize forcefully: to whip the team into shape.

Informal. to defeat or overcome: to whip the opposition;to whip a bad habit.

to hoist or haul by means of a lash or whip.

to move quickly and suddenly; pull, jerk, seize, or the like, with a sudden movement (often followed by out, in, into, etc.): He whipped his gun out of its holster.

to fish (a stream, lake, etc.) with rod and line, especially 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 sew with a light overcasting stitch.

verb (used without object), whipped or whipt, whip·ping.

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, especially by casting the line frequently.

noun

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 beating to a froth; whisk.

a dish made of cream or egg whites beaten to a froth, and usually blended with puréed fruit into a mousse-like consistency: pineapple whip.

Politics.

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.

Hunting. a whipper-in.

a tackle consisting of a fall rove through a single standing block (single whip ) so 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 block (double whip ) so as to change the direction of hauling with a mechanical advantage of two, neglecting friction.Compare gun tackle.

the wrapping around the end of a whipped cord or the like.

Also called whirl .Machinery. eccentric rotation of a shaft having its center line slightly curved between supporting bearings.

a branchless shoot of a woody plant, especially one resulting from the first year's growth of a bud or graft.

Chiefly British: Older Use. a person who uses a whip as part of their work, such as a coachman or a driver of horses.

Verb Phrases

whip in, Hunting. to prevent from wandering, as hounds.

whip off, Informal. to write hurriedly: He whipped off three new songs last night.

whip up, Informal.

to plan or assemble quickly: to whip up a delicious dinner.
to incite; arouse; stir: to whip up the mob.

OTHER WORDS FOR whip

1 scourge, flagellate, switch.

4 reprimand, scold, chastise.

6 beat, conquer.

10 whisk.

17 switch.

See synonyms for whip on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of whip

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English w(h)ippe (noun),w(h)ippen (verb); cognate with Dutch wippen “to swing, oscillate”; compare Low German wip(pe) “quick movement”

OTHER WORDS FROM whip

whip·like, adjectivewhip·per, nouno·ver·whip, verb (used with object), o·ver·whipped, o·ver·whip·ping.pre·whip, verb (used with object), pre·whipped, pre·whip·ping.

self-whip·per, nounun·whipt, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use whip in a sentence

“Representative Greene has denounced her previous comments and expressed regret over those actions,” said a whip memo sent to Republican lawmakers ahead of the vote, urging them to vote no.
House ejects Marjorie Taylor Greene from committees over extremist remarks|Mike DeBonis|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Cracking the whip, he reorganized the company and tried to ferret out the problems.
Intel gets the leader it needs|Aaron Pressman|January 13, 2021|Fortune
He was aggressive and intellectual-sounding, rising to minority whip in 1989.
Newt Gingrich’s blatant hypocrisy|Erik Wemple|January 11, 2021|Washington Post
Over in the Assembly, San Diego Assemblyman Chris Ward and Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner Horvath have both been tapped to serve as assistant majority whips by Speaker Anthony Rendon.
Sacramento Report: San Diego Restaurants vs. California|Sara Libby|December 18, 2020|Voice of San Diego

Just as soon as it had started, in 1985, Weller, once again, felt the windy whip of change.
Almost anarchy: The Style Council and the smooth sounds of sophisti-pop|Mina Tavakoli|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The business of the firm is attended to by Mr. Whipper, who is a relative.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States|Martin R. Delany
To use the language of the talented Mr. Whipper, "they cannot be raised in this country, without being stoop shouldered."
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States|Martin R. Delany
All light kites were set, and 'Satanita' led the race on a reach to the Skerries buoy, at which mark 'Navahoe' was whipper-in.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
And yet Powell, if he will forgive me for saying so, was the merest whipper-snapper.
Mystic London:|Charles Maurice Davies
The Leviathan kept ahead, and led as well as she could, while we did the duty of huntsman, or of whipper-in.
Hurricane Hurry|W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for whip

whip

/ (wɪp) /

verb whips, whipping or 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 motionto whip out a gun

(intr; foll by down, into, out of, etc) informal to come, go, etc, in a rapid sudden mannerthey whipped into the bar for a drink

to strike or be struck as if by whippingthe 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 outdoI 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 stealhe 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

a fair crack of the whip informal a fair chance or opportunity

See also whip in, whip-round, whips, whip up

Derived forms of whip

whiplike, adjectivewhipper, noun

Word Origin for whip

C13: perhaps from Middle Dutch wippen to swing; related to Middle Dutch wipfen to dance, German Wipfel tree top

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for whip

whip

In the United States Congress or state legislatures, an assistant to the majority leader or minority leader responsible for stirring up party support on issues, keeping track of party members' votes, and acting as a general liaison between the majority leader or minority leader and other party members.

Other Idioms and Phrases with whip

whip

In addition to the idiom beginning with whip

whip up

also see:

crack the whip
lick (whip) into shape
smart as a whip
upper (whip) hand

whip

OTHER WORDS FOR whip

Origin of whip

OTHER WORDS FROM whip

Words related to whip

How to use whip in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whip

Derived forms of whip

Word Origin for whip

Cultural definitions for whip

Other Idioms and Phrases with whip