whirlpit 
Whirlpitt (hwferl'pit), n. [< whirl + pin.] A 
whirlpool. 
The deepest whirl-pit of the rav'nous seas. 
B. Jonson, Every Man out of liis Humour, ii. 2. 
This wkirlepU is said to have thrown up her wracks 
ueer Tauromenia. Sandys, Travailes, p. 192. 
whirlpool {hnerl'pol), ii. [Earlj- mod. E. wliirl- 
poole,wliirlpole; < whirl + })ooli.] 1. A cireu- 
lar eddy or current in a river or the sea pro- 
duced by the configuration of the channel, by 
meeting currents, by winds meeting tides, etc. 
The celebrated wliirlpool of Charj-bdis between .Sicily and 
Italy, and the Slaelstrom off the coast of Norway, are not 
whirlpools in the strict sense, but merely superficial com- 
motions caused by winds meeting tidal currents, and in 
calm weather are free from danger. Ijistances of vorti- 
cal motion, however, do occur, as in the whirlpool of I'o- 
ryvreckan in the Hebrides, between ,Iura and Scarba, and 
in some eddies among the Orkneys. 
Greedy Whirl-pools, ever-wheeling round. 
Suck in, at once, Oars, Sails, and Ships to ground. 
Syltxgter, tr. of Du Bartas's Battle of Ivry. 
2t. Some huge sea-monster of the whale kind ; 
a whirl-whale ; a wliirl-about. 
The Indian Sea bree<leth the most and the biggest fishes 
that are; among which the whales and whirlpools, called 
balsente, take up in length as much as four acres or arpens 
of land. IloUaiul, tr. of Pliny, i. 235. (Tremh.) 
Whirl-pufft (hwi'rl'puf), n. [< ME. whirlpuf ; 
< whirl + puff.] A whirlwind. Il'ydif. 
A vkirie-puffe or ghust called Typhen. 
Holland, tr. of I'liny, ii. 4S. 
whirlwatert (hwerl'wa'ter), )i. An old name 
for a waterspout. 
There was no other water fell over the duke's water-gate 
than what came of the breaking there of the whirlwater, 
or, as some call it, the water-pillar. 
Court and Times o,f Charles I., I. 114. 
whirl-whalet {hwferl'hwal), «. A monster of 
the whale kind; a whirl-about; a whirlpool. 
Another, swallowed in a Whirl- Whales womb. 
Is laid a-Iive within a living Toomb. 
Syloetter, tr. of Du Uartas's Weeks, ii. , The Lawe. 
whirlwlg (hw^Tl'wig), H. [A var. of wliirh/iij, 
perhaps simulating -inV/ in earwig.'] Same as 
whirliijifi, 4. 
whirlwind (hwerl'wind), n. [< ME. whi/rlc- 
wyiide, qxrirl-wind, a whirling wind, = D. wcrrtl- 
loind = ti. tcirhelwind = Icel. hrirfih-indr = Sw. 
hrirfrehind =2\ia.n. hvirrelriiid, a whirlwind; as 
whirl + wiiiiri, II.] 1. A wind moving in acir- 
cum.seribedeirpularpath; a mass of air, of whicli 
the height is generally very great in comparison 
with its width, rotating rapidly round a vertical 
or slightly inclined axis, this axis having at the 
same time a progressive motion over the sur- 
face of the land or sea. Whirlwinds vary greatly 
in dimensions and intensity, the term including the 
miniature eddy that circles in the dusty street, the tow- 
ering sand-pillars of the tropical deserts, the watersp<jut 
formed over bodies of water, and the destructive tornado 
of the t'nited States. They arise when the atmosphere is 
in a condition of instability, and are one of the processes 
by which a stable condition is regained. 
The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. 
Job xxxviii. 1. 
2. Figuratively, any wild circling rush resem- 
bling a whirlwind. 
There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelm'd 
With HwkIs and whirlieinds of tempestuous fire. 
He soon discerns. Milton, V. L., i. 77. 
What a whirlwind is her head ! Byron. 
The deer was flying through the park, followeil l)y the 
whirlwind of hounds and hunters. 
Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxi. 
To SOW the wind and reap the whirlwind. See 
wind'i. 
whirl-worm (hwirrwenu), II. A turbcllarian ; 
anv member of the TurhrUuria. 
Whirly-batt (hwer'li-bat), n. Same as whirl- 
but. 
Very true, and he also propos'd the fighting with Whirly- 
bats too, and I d<»n't like that Sport. 
A'. Bailnj, tr. of Colloquies of Erasmus. I. S4. 
whirrett (hwir'et), «. [Perhaps from whir.] 
A slap; a blow. Also written ic/icnf^, jWiin)7, 
tchirrick. 
And in a fume gave Fnrius 
A irhirrt'l on the eare. 
Kendall, Flowers of Epigrams (l'»77). {Nares.) 
1 forthwith went, he following me at my heels, and 
now and tbeti giving n)e u whirret on the ear, which, the 
way to my chamber lying through the liall where .John 
Kaunce was, he, poor man, might see and be sorry for. as 
I doubt not that he was, but could not help me, 
7'. KIlwinHl. Life (ed. Howells), p. 222. 
Then there's your sou.He, your irherrit. and your drjwst. 
Tugs on the hair, your bolt o' the lips, a wbclp (»n 't I 
I ne'er c<ju1<1 find much difference. 
Fletcher {and another';), Nice Valour, iii. 2. 
whirrett (hwir'et ), r. I. [Also whirril, etc. ; cf. 
whirret, n.] 1. To Iiuitv; trout)le; tease. liiik- 
erstaff, liOve in a Village, i. "). — 2. To give a 
box on the ear to. Hkih. tiiiil l''l. 
6905 
Whirrick (hwir'ik), n. A variant of whirret. 
Harry . . . gave master such a whirrick! 
II. Brooke, Fool of Quality, I. 21. (Davies.) 
whirritt, ». and v. See whirret. 
whirry (liwer'i), v. [A dial, form of whir or of 
hwrri/.] I. iiitrans. To fly rapidly with noise; 
whir; hurry. 
II. traii.^'. To hurry. [Scotch in both uses.] 
whirtle (hwfer'tl), H. [Origin obseure.] A per- 
forated steel plate through which pipe or wire 
is drawn to reduce its diameter. E. H. Knight. 
whishl (hwish), V. i. [Imitative; cf. whi;: and 
swish.] To move with the whirring or whizzing 
sound of rapid motion. 
The scenery of a long tragic drama flashed through his 
mind as the lightning-express train ichi^-hes by a station. 
0. W. Holmes, Professor, vi. 
whish^t (hwish), iiiterj. [Var. of hush.] Hush. 
What means this peevish tiabe? Whish, lullaby ; 
What ails my babe'^ what ails my babe to cry'* 
Quarles, Emblems, ii. 8. 
Whish2t (hwish), a. [Var. of hush.] Silent: 
same as hush, whi.iht, whisf^. 
You took my answer well, and all was whish. 
Sir J. Harington, Ep., i. 27. 
whishey, whishie (hwish'i), n. The white- 
throat, tiijlcia ciiicrea. Macgillivraij. Also it'/(a(- 
tie. 
whishtt (hwisht), j«<€r/. and v. [Var. of hu.'sht.] 
Same as husht, whist^. 
When they perceived that Solomon, by the advise of 
his father, was annoynted king, by and by there was all 
whisht. Latimer, 2d Sermon !)£'. Edw. VI., 1549. 
whiskl (hwisk), II. [Prop. *wi.sk; < Icel. risk, 
a wisp of hay, something to wipe with, a rub- 
ber, = Sw. viska, a whisk, small broom, = Dan. 
risk, a wisp, rubber, = D. wisch = OHG. wise, 
MHG. G. wisch, a whisk, clout; prob. con- 
nected with w(i.sh. The verb is from the orig. 
noun; but the noun in the later senses (-act 
of whisking,' etc.) is from the verb.] 1. A 
wisp or small bunch, as of grass, hair, or straw ; 
specifically, such a wisp used as a brush, broom, 
or besom, and especially in modern usage one 
made of the ripened panicle of broom-corn 
(see broom-roni and Sorgliuiii), used for brush- 
ing the dust off clothes, etc. 
If you happen to break any china with the top of the 
whisk on the matitle-tree or the cabinet, gather up tile 
fragments. Su\fl, Advice to Servants (Chamber-maid). 
The ceiling was divided by whisks of flowers, with a 
margin of honeysuckles. .S". Judd, Margaret, ii. 11. 
2. An instrument used for whisking, agitat- 
ing, or beating certain articles, such as cream 
or eggs. — 3. A coopers' plane for leveling the 
chimes of casks. — 4. A neckerchief worn by 
women in the seventeenth century. Also called 
falling-whisk, ai)|iareiitlv in distinction from 
the riiff. 
My wife in her new lace wldske, which indeed is veiy 
noble, and I am much pleased witli it. 
Pepys, Diary, II. 217. 
With whisks of lawn, by grannums wore. 
In l)ase contempt of bishops sleeves. 
Hudihras Jiediriinis (1706). (Nares.) 
5. A lirief. rapid sweeping motion as of some- 
thing light ; a sudden stroke, whiff, pull', or gale. 
This first sad whisk 
'takes off tliy dukedom ; thou art but an earl. 
Flfte/ier (and another). Noble tientlenian, v. 
He tunu;d with an angry whisk on bis heel, and swag- 
gered with long strides out of the gate. 
J. .V. 1.6 Fanu, Dragon %'olant, iv. 
If a wliisk of Kate's broom sn.ap your coliweb asunder. 
Loivell, Blondel, ii. 
6t. A servant. [Contemptuous.] 
'I'his is the protid braches whiske. Drome, Novella. 
7. An impertinent fellow. Ilalliwcll. [Prov. 
K"g] —Mexican or French whisk. Same as broom- 
rout. 
whiskl (li wisk), ('. [Prop, wi.fk (as in dial, use) ; 
< Sw. riskd, wipe, sponge, also wag the tail, = 
Dan. rwA'c, wipe, rub, sponge, = OIIG. wiskvn, 
MHG. G. wisehen, wipe, rub; from the noun.] 
1. trans. 1. Tosweeporbrush with a light, rapid 
motion: as, to whisk tlie dust from a table. 
She advanced to the fire, rearranged the wood, picked 
up stray brands, and whisked up the coals with a brush. 
//. B. Stowe, Oldtown, xxiv. 
2. To agitate or mix with a light, rapid mo- 
tion ; beat: as, to«7((.s-A'eggs. — 3. To move with 
a (|uick, swee])ing motion or Uourisli: luove 
briskly. 
His papers light fly diverse, toss'd in air; 
.Songs, sonnets, epigrams the winds uplift, 
Au(l whisk 'em liack to l-'vuns. Young, and Swift. 
Pope, Dunciad, ii. IKi. 
whiskered 
4. To flourish about. 
Who? he that wjvlks in grey, whiskiim his riding-rod? 
Fletcher (and another), Noble Gentleman, ii. 1. 
5. To cam- suddenly and rapidly ; whirl. 
The outsiders [in open railway-carriages], who experi- 
enced the inconvenience of the smoke as well as the cold 
atmosphere through which they were whisked. 
Quoted in First Year of a Silken lievjn, p. 150. 
II. intrans. To move with a quick, sweeping 
motion ; move nimbly and swiftly : as, to whisk. 
away. 
Then, ill bested of counsel, rageth she [the Queen], 
And whisketh through the town. Surrey, ."^^neid, iv. 
I wish you would one day whisk over and look at Har- 
ley House. Walpole, Letters, II. 44. 
whisk^t (hwisk), n. [< whisk^, v., referring, in 
the orig. form of the game called "wliisk and 
swabbers," to the rapid action and the whisk- 
ing or sweeping of the cards from the table as 
the tricks were won. There are various other 
card terms having reference to quick, sweeping 
action: e. g., 'sweep the stakes,' slams, etc. The 
name whisk, having no very obvious significance 
after its first application, came to be called 
ichist. See u-hi,'<t'K] The game of whist. 
He plays at whisk and smokes his pipe eight-and-forty 
hours together sometimes. 
Farquhar, Beaux' Stratagem, i. 1. 
He played at whisk till one in the morning. 
Walpole, Letters, II. 417. 
Whlsk and swabbers. See swabber. 
whisker (hwis'ker), n. [Formerly also (Sc.) 
whisquer. whiscar; < whisk'^ + -o'l.] 1 . One who 
or that which -whisks, or moves with a quick, 
sweeping motion. — 2. A switch or rod. [Old 
slang. ] 
A whip is a whisker that will wrest out blood 
Of back and of body, beaten right well. 
Ilarman, Caveat for Cursetors, p. 122. 
3. A bunch of feathers for sweeping anything. 
Jamiesnn. — 4. In :iHil.: {a) One of the long, 
stiff, bristly hairs which gi'ow on the upper lip 
of the cat and many other animals; a vibrissa; 
a feeler: also, the set of such haii's on either 
side of the mouth. See ribrissa, and cuts under 
Plati/rhi/nchus and tiger. (6) jil. Any similar 
formation of hairs, feathers, etc., about an ani- 
mal's mouth; also, color-marks suggestive of 
whiskers, as mystacial or maxillary stripes. 
See whiskered, (c) In entoin., a long fringe of 
hairs on the clypeus, overhanging the mouth, 
as in flies of the genus Asiliis. — 5. The hair of 
the face, especially that on the sides of the face 
or cheeks of a man, as distinguished from that 
which grows on the upper lip (called the inus- 
tache) and that on the chin (called the beard), 
but the word was formerly also used for the hair 
on the upper lip: commonlyin the plural. Com- 
pare side-irli iskcrs. 
His face not very great, ample forehead, yellowish red- 
dish whiskers, which natni-ally turned up ; f)eIowe he was 
shaved close, except a little tip under his lii>. 
Aubrey, Lives (Thonnis Hoblies). 
His whiskers curled, and shoe-strings tied, 
A new Tcdedo by his side. Addison, Rosamond, ii. 2. 
He had a beard tfK>, and whiskers turned upwards on his 
upper-lip, as laiig as Baudron's. Scott, Antiquary, ix. 
The Czar's look, I own, was much l)righter and brisker, 
But then he is sadly deficient in whisker. 
Byron, Fragment of Epistle to Thomas Moore. 
6. In ships, an outrigger of wood or iron extend- 
ing laterally from each side of the bowsprit-cup, 
serving to support the ,jib and flying-jib guys. — 
7. Something great or extraordinary; a whop- 
per; a big lie. I'laidiis made Engli.th (1694), 
p. 9. (IJaeies.) — 8. A blusterer. ' [Scotcli.] 
March whisquer was never a good fisher. 
Scotch prorerb (Ray, Proverbs (1 078), p. 385). 
Whiskerando (hwis-ke-ran'do), n. [So called 
in allusion to Dun Feriilo iVhi.'<keranil(iK, a bur- 
lesque character in Sheridan's i)lay, "The 
Critic": a name formed, witli a Spanish-look- 
ing termination, < wliisker.] A whiskered or 
bearded person. [Burles(|ue.] 
'I'he dumpy, elderly, square-shouldered, S(iuintiiig, t-ar- 
roty wliiskerando of a warrior who was laying altont bitu 
s<j savagely. Thackeray, I'bilip, xiii. 
whiskerandoedt (hwis-ke-ran'dod), n. [As 
whiskeraudii -4- -eiP.] Whiskered. 
To what follies and what extravagancies would the 
whiskerandoed macaronies of Ilomi Street and St. .James's 
proceed, if the beard once inoie wen', instead of the neck- 
cloth, to "nnike the num" 1 .^ovtlieu, 'I'lie Doctor, clvi. 
whiskered (hwis'kerd), a. [< whi.-<ker ■¥ -rr/'-'.] 
1. Wearing wliiskers; having whiskers, in any 
sense. 
The ietmker\t vermin race. Grainyer, Sugarcane, ii. 
Again the i/hiskerrd Sp.-uiiard all the land witti terror 
sniote. I.onyfeitow. lielfly of Hruges. 
