whippet

American

[whip-it, wip-] / ˈwhɪp ɪt, ˈwɪp- /

noun

one of a breed of small, swift dogs resembling a greyhound, used for hunting rabbits and for racing.
Also called whippet tank. a fast, light tank used by the British in World War I.

whippet British

/ ˈwɪpɪt /

noun

a small slender breed of dog similar to a greyhound in appearance

"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

Etymology

Origin of whippet

First recorded in 1490–1500; perhaps alteration of phrase whip it move briskly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Last year's best in show title was taken home by a whippet called Miuccia from Italy.

From BBC

Miuccia, a four-year-old whippet from Venice, came out top among more than 18,000 dogs from around the world to take the top award.

From BBC

The whippet came out of retirement for the event, and claimed Reserve Best for the third time.

From BBC

But she said there were elements in Scoop that she didn't recognise, including scenes which showed her and her grey whippet Moody in the office.

From BBC

"This is more like flat caps and whippets," adds Will.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023