whisk
Americanverb (used with object)
-
whisks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whisked,
past participle, past
-
whisking
present participle
-
to move with a rapid, sweeping stroke.
She whisked everything off the table with her arm.
-
to sweep (dust, crumbs, etc., or a surface) with a whisk broom, brush, or the like.
-
to draw, snatch, carry, etc., lightly and rapidly.
He whisked the money into his pocket.
-
to whip (eggs, cream, etc.) to a froth with a whisk or beating instrument.
verb (used without object)
-
whisks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whisked,
past participle, past
-
whisking
present participle
noun
-
whisks
plural
-
an act of whisking.
-
a rapid, sweeping stroke; light, rapid movement.
-
a small bunch of grass, straw, hair, or the like, especially for use in brushing.
-
an implement, usually a bunch of wire loops held together in a handle, for beating or whipping eggs, cream, etc.
verb
-
(tr; often foll by away or off) to brush, sweep, or wipe off lightly
-
(tr) to move, carry, etc, with a light or rapid sweeping motion
the taxi whisked us to the airport
-
(intr) to move, go, etc, quickly and nimbly
to whisk downstairs for a drink
-
(tr) to whip (eggs, cream, etc) to a froth
noun
-
the act of whisking
-
a light rapid sweeping movement or stroke
-
a utensil, often incorporating a coil of wires, for whipping eggs, etc
-
a small brush or broom
-
a small bunch or bundle, as of grass, straw, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
whisksimple
-
whiskssimple
-
have whiskedperfect
-
has whiskedperfect
-
am whiskingprogressive
-
are whiskingprogressive
-
is whiskingprogressive
-
have been whiskingperfect progressive
-
has been whiskingperfect progressive
Past
-
whiskedsimple
-
had whiskedperfect
-
was whiskingprogressive
-
were whiskingprogressive
-
had been whiskingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whisk
1325–75; (noun) Middle English ( Scots ) wysk rapid sweeping movement; (v.) earlier Scots wisk, quhisk < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse, Norwegian visk wisp, Swedish viska besom, wisp, to whisk (off ), Danish viske to wipe (compare Old High German wisken to wipe, wisc wisp of hay); for development of wh cf. whip
Explanation
When you whisk something, you stir it quickly and lightly with a kitchen tool also called a whisk. Grab that whisk and whisk those eggs! Most whisks have long handles and curved wire loops, a design that makes it easy to beat air into ingredients as you whisk them. Before the metal whisk was invented in the mid-19th century, cooks used bundles of twigs to whisk batters. You can also use whisk to mean "move quickly," so you might say, "Her parents managed to whisk her off to school before she was truly awake."
Vocabulary lists containing whisk
Pestle, Sieve, and Whisk: Useful Words for Cooking Tools
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Good Kind of Trouble
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Pop Culture: May 18–24, 2019
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
"I do have a Bake Off tattoo on my ribs - I've got a piping bag, a whisk and a rolling pin," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Yet, as Lucas is a legendary lug nut, these hover cars and spaceships whisk you full speed into his creative process.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Thirty-one days can whisk by in a flash.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
I wear my new snowsuit, my skirt wrapped around my legs and stuffed down into the bulgy legs of the snowpants, which whisk together as I walk.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Addison Rae is a student of pop, and Headphones On is her master thesis – a hymn to music that whisks you away from the world for three minutes of distracted, hypnotic solace.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
He whisks the reader from oceanic thermal vents through the rise of mammals to the emergence of human language, peppering the text with goofy drawings and personal anecdotes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
Linklater, shooting en français with subtitles, whisks characters past the lens so fast that your mental Rolodex is full in 15 minutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025
I’m trapped in an endless cycle of whisks, cafes, cheesecakes, cookies, cloud foams, and flavored lattes.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2025
The other whisks the tarp off the boat’s stern.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Medics whisked him to safety, gave him a pain blocker, and placed him in a bed with a recessed, plush mat that molded to his body.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
For the binder, I whisked together an egg, a little buttermilk and chicken stock that I’d fortified with an extra spoonful of Better Than Bouillon and an absurd amount of black pepper.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
The short-term was more pressing because Finucane had somewhere to be as she was whisked off to prepare for the closing ceremony.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
At the exclusive terminal for the rich and the famous at Los Angeles International Airport, passengers are greeted with champagne and caviar, then whisked directly to their planes in a customized BMW.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
She dropped the shrapnel into the kidney bowl as Sister Drummond whisked the screen aside.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Last month, she announced an investigation into whether the US violated international law and the Mexican constitution by whisking Zambada out of the country to face justice.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
His co-accused continues to try to console him and Varley said: "They'll be whisking me away for neglect."
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
Since then, a more tightly controlled entry through an augmented passageway at the terrace level has become a routine part of whisking the president inside.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
Once they’re slightly thickened, slowly drizzle in warm, melted butter while whisking constantly.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2025
It was a cool night in the holler, with a lazy breeze blowing through, whisking branches against the loft window.
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
