whisker

American  

[hwis-ker, wis-] / ˈʰwɪs kər, ˈwɪs- /

noun

• whiskers
  plural

1. whiskers, a beard.

2. Usually whiskers. side whiskers.

3. a single hair of the beard.

4. Archaic. a mustache.

5. one of the long, stiff, bristly hairs growing about the mouth of certain animals, as the cat or rat; vibrissa.

6. Also called whisker boom, whisker pole. Nautical. any spar for extending the clew or clews of a sail so that it can catch more wind.

7. Radio, Electronics. cat whisker.

8. Crystallography. a thin filament of a crystal, usually several millimeters long and one to two microns in diameter, having unusually great strength.

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idioms

1. by a whisker, by the narrowest margin.

   She won the race by a whisker.

whisker British  

/ ˈwɪskə /

noun

1. Technical name: vibrissa. any of the stiff sensory hairs growing on the face of a cat, rat, or other mammal

2. any of the hairs growing on a person's face, esp on the cheeks or chin

3. (plural) a beard or that part of it growing on the sides of the face

4. informal (plural) a moustache

5. Also called: whisker boom, whisker pole. any light spar used for extending the clews of a sail, esp in light airs

6. chem a very fine filamentary crystal having greater strength than the bulk material since it is a single crystal. Such crystals often show unusual electrical properties

7. a person or thing that whisks

8. a narrow margin; a small distance

   he escaped death by a whisker

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whisker More Idioms  

1. see by a hair (whisker); win by a nose (whisker).

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• whiskery
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• whiskers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of whisker

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at whisk, -er ¹

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Explanation

A whisker is a thick, bristly hair that grows on an animal's face. Your cat's long whiskers actually help her to navigate in the dark. You can also call a human's beard whiskers, but the word usually means the stiff hairs on the snout of an animal like a fox, a walrus, or a rat. In fact, most mammals have whiskers — and humans are the only primates who don't have them. This noun can also mean "a tiny amount," like when a disappointed voter says, "The other guy won by a whisker."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whisker whiskers

A lifelong United fan, he was a whisker away from scoring in that game at Turf Moor and I see him being involved in the first-team squad a lot this season.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Despite coming within a whisker of the semi-finals with Switzerland, Noah Okafor will return to Elland Road fresh, with just one World Cup appearance to his name.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Stocks came within a whisker of a new bear market, Treasury yields spiked and the VIX “fear gauge” reached a level not seen since the Covid-19 panic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

With gas prices averaging a whisker below $4 a gallon nationwide on Tuesday, drivers are wondering how high prices can go.

From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026

Its movements were so light, so alert, that Pax knew it was a whisker away from flight.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker

“The Wizard of Oz’s” original Cowardly Lion costume stands alone in the center of a room allowing intimate inspection of its whiskers, ringlets and fur.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

At venues in Coventry at least, the glitterati wear whiskers these days.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

They have stiff white whiskers and a prehensile tail that’s as long as their body.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

Elephants are also well-documented using their trunks for social touch -- "they're using the outside of their trunk," Schulz said, "so they're using those portions that are covered in the whiskers."

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

Sidana twitched furiously, pulling at his whiskers and grinding his crooked teeth.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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