634 
W H I 
W H I 
What flaws and whirls of weather. 
Or rather storms, have been aloft these three days! 
Beaum. and FI. 
Any thing moved with rapid rotation. 
For though in dreadful whirls we hung 
High on the broken wave, 
I knew thou wert not slow to hear, 
Nor impotent to save. Addison. 
WHIRLBAT, s. Any thing moved rapidly round to give 
a blow. It is frequently used by poets for the ancient ces- 
tus. 
The whirlbat and the rapid race shall be 
Reserv’d for Caesar, and ordain’d by me. Dryden. 
WHI'RLBONE, s. The patella; the cap of the knee. 
Ainsworth. 
WHI'RLIGIG, s. A toy which children spin round.— 
That men should have such whir/e-gigs in their brain! 
Montagu. 
WHI'RLPIT, or Whirlpool, s. [hpypppole, Sax.] 
A place where the water moves circularly, and draws what¬ 
ever comes within the circle towards its centre; a vortex.— 
Poor Tom! whom the foul fiend hath led through ford and 
whirlpool, o’er bog and quagmire. Shahspeare. 
WHI'RLWIND, s. [ werbelwind, German.] A stormy 
wind moving circularly.—In the very torrent and whirlwind 
of your passion, beget a temperance that may give it smooth¬ 
ness. Shahspeare. 
WHI'RRING. See To Whir. 
WH1SBY, a parish of England, in Lincolnshire; 5 miles 
south-west-by-west of Lincoln. 
WISHFORD, Great and Little, a parish and hamlet 
of England, in Wiltshire; 5 miles from Salisbury. 
WHISK, s. [wischen, to wipe, German.] A small be¬ 
som, or brush.—The white of an egg, though in part trans¬ 
parent, yet, being long agitated with a whisk or spoon, loses 
its transparency. Boyle. —A part of a woman’s dress.—An 
easy means to prevent being one farthing the worse for the 
abatement of interest, is wearing a lawn whisk instead of a 
point de Venice. Child of Trade. —A quick violent mo¬ 
tion ; and hence perhaps a sudden gale. Malone. 
This first sad whisk 
Takes off thy dukedom. Beaum. and FI. 
To WHISK, v. a. [ wischen , to wipe, German.] To 
sweep with a small besom. 
For I suppose that he is 
Of Jeremy the whisking rod; 
The flayle, the scourge, 
Of Almighty God. Skelton. 
To move nimbly, as when one sweeps. 
He whisk'd his party-coloured wings, 
And down to earth he comes. Balegh. 
To WHISK, ». n. To move with velocity.—A strange 
gentleman whisk'd by me. Addison. 
WHl'SKER, s. The hair growing on the upper lip or 
cheek unshaven; a mustachio.—A painter added a pair of 
whiskers to the face. Addison. 
WHl'SKERED, adj. Formed into whiskers. 
Preferring sense from chin that’s bare, 
To nonsense thron’d in whisker'd hair. Green. 
WHI'SKY, s. The word whisky signifies water, and is 
applied by way of eminence to strong water, or distilled li¬ 
quor. The spirit drunk in the north is drawn from barley. 
To WHI'SPER, v. n. [ wispcren , Dutch.] To speak 
with a low voice, so as not to be heard but by the ear close 
to the speaker; to speak with suspicion or timorous caution. 
The hollow whispering breeze, the pliant rills 
Purl down amid the twisted roots. Thomson. 
To WHI'SPER, v. a. To address in a low voice. 
When they talk of him, they shake their heads, 
And whisper one another in the ear. Shahspeare. 
To utter in a low voice.—You have heard of the news 
abroad, I mean the whisper'd ones; for they are yet but ear- 
kissing arguments. Shahspeare. —They might buzz and 
whisper it one to another, and, tacitly withdrawing from the 
apostles, noise it about the city. Bentley _To prompt 
secretly. 
Charles the emperor, 
Under pretence to see the queen his aunt, 
For ’twas indeed his colour, but he came 
To whisper Wolsey, here makes visitation. Shahspeare. 
WHI'SPER, s. A low soft voice; cautious and timorous 
speech.—Soft whispers through th’ assembly went. Dry- 
den. 
WHI'SPERER, s. One that speaks low.—St. Gregory 
had no meaner whisperer, under the shape of a pigeon, sit¬ 
ting quietly upon his head. Brevint. —A private talker; a 
teller of secrets; a conveyer of intelligence.—King's trust in 
eunuchs hath rather been as to good spials and good whis¬ 
perers, than good magistrates. Bacon. 
WHI'SPERING, s. Act of speaking in a low voice; 
cautious speech.—Birds will bear thy whisperings on their 
wings. Sandys. 
WHI'SPERINGLY, adv. In a low voice.—The one is 
uttered vocally, the other whisperingly. Dalgarno. 
WHISSF.NDINE, a parish of England, in the county 
of Rutland; 7 miles north west of Oakham. Population 
555 
WHISSONSETT, a parish of England, in Norfolk; 3 
miles from Fakenham. Population 434. 
To WHIST, v. a. [It is probably from hush, whence 
bust in Chaucer, and hist in present use.] To silence; to 
still. 
The winds with wonder whist. 
Smoothly the waters kiss’d, 
Whispering new joys to the mild ocean. Milton. 
To WHIST, v. n. To become silent.—They whisted all. 
Ld. Surrey and Phaer. 
WHIST, interj. Be still; be silent.— Whist , wanton, 
still ye. Lodge. 
WHIST, s. A game at cards, requiring close attention 
and silence; vulgarly pronounced whisk. Dr. Johnson _ 
The earliest notice 1 have yet found of this game is in the 
following example. Malone. 
Whist awhile 
Walks his grave round beneath a cloud of smoke. 
Wreath’d fragrant from the pipe. Thomson. 
WHISTANSTOW, a parish of England, in Salop; 8i 
miles from Ludlow. Population 659. 
To WHI'STLE, v. n. [hpiptlan, Saxon; fstulo, Lat.] 
To form a kind of musical sound, by an inarticulate modu¬ 
lation of the breath. 
I’ve watch’d and travell’d hard; 
Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I’ll whistle. Shahspeare. 
To make a sound with a small wind-instrument. To 
sound shrill. 
His big manly voice 
Changing again toward childish treble pipes, 
He whistles in his sound. Shahspeare. 
To WHI'STLE, w. a. To call by a whistle. 
When simple pride for flattery makes demands, 
May dunce by dunce be whistled off my hands. Pope. 
WHI'STLE, s. [hpiptle, Saxon.] Sound made by the 
modulation of the breath in the mouth. 
My sire in caves constrains the winds; 
Can with a breath their clamorous rage appease; 
They fear his whistle, and forsake the seas. Dry den. 
A sound made by a small wind-instrument. The mouth; 
the organ of whistling.—Let’s drink the other cup to wet our 
whistles, and so sing away all sad thoughts. Walton. —A 
small wind-instrument. 
Behold, 
