Dictionary

whisk en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈʍɪsk/ without the wine–whine merger
• [ˈw̥ɪsk] without the wine–whine merger
• /ˈwɪsk/ wine–whine merger
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English whisk, borrowed from Old Norse visk, from Proto-Germanic *wiskaz, *wiskō (“bundle of hay, wisp”), from Proto-Indo-European *weys-. Cognates Cognate with Danish visk, Dutch wis, German Wisch, Latin virga (“rod, switch”), viscus (“entrails”), Lithuanian vizgéti (“to tremble”), Czech věchet (“wisp of straw”), Sanskrit वेष्क (veṣka, “noose”). Compare also Old English wiscian (“to plait”), granwisc (“awn”). The unetymological wh- is probably expressive of the sound; compare the same development in whip and onomatopoeias such as whack and whoosh.

Meanings

1. A quick, light sweeping motion.
   • With a quick whisk, she swept the cat from the pantry with her broom.
2. A kitchen utensil, now usually made from stiff wire loops fixed to a handle (and formerly of twigs), used for whipping (or a mechanical device with the same function).
   • He used a whisk to whip up a light and airy souffle.
3. A bunch of twigs, hair, etc., used as a brush.
   • Peter dipped the whisk in lather and applied it to his face, so he could start shaving.
4. A small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle.
   • I used a whisk to sweep the counter, then a push-broom for the floor.
5. A plane used by coopers for evening chines.
6. A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress.
   • My wife in her new lace whiske. 1665 March 21 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “March 12th, 1664–1665”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume IV, London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1894, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

whiskable · whiskless · matcha whisk · whiskful · champagne whisk · tea whisk · whisk fern · tim-whisky · flywhisk · whisky · whiskbroom · whisklike

Translations (93)

cs metla (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · fi luuta (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · cmn 打蛋器 (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · gl balea (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · es escobilla (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · pt lapada (quick, light sweeping motion) · pl trzepaczka (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · sh pjenjača (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · sk metlička (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · sv borste (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · pl ubijaczka (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · cy chwisg (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · cs věchet (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · ru метёлка (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · tr çırpıcı (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · ka სათქვეფელა (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · cs štětka (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · ka სადღვებელა (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · ru сбива́лка (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · is þeytari (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · pt batedor (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · es barrido (quick, light sweeping motion) · fi vatkain (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · sh mijèšalica / méšalica (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · de Handfeger (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · bg замах (quick, light sweeping motion) · uk ві́ничок (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · sv viftning (quick, light sweeping motion) · ga greadtóir (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · cs mrsknutí (quick, light sweeping motion) · de Handbesen (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · cs metlička (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · yue 蛋𢪎 (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · ru сма́хивание (quick, light sweeping motion) · gl bascullo (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · ar مِخْفَقَة (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · bg метли́чка (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · tr çırpma teli (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · fr balayette (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · ca escombrada (quick, light sweeping motion) · ja 泡立て器 (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · cy ysgubell (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · ru метёлка (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · bg бърка́лка (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · lb Schnéibiesem (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · fi vispilä (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · gl batedor (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · fi huiskaus (quick, light sweeping motion) · hu habverő (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · da piskeris (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · gl brocha (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · ca batedor (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · cy chwifiad (quick, light sweeping motion) · de Bartwisch (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · fi pyyhkäisy (quick, light sweeping motion) · sv visp (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · it frusta (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · nn visp (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · pt broxa (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · de Schaumschläger (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · pt fuê (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · nb visp (quick, light sweeping motion) · uk збива́лка (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · cs šlehnutí (quick, light sweeping motion) · es brocha (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · fi vasta (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · es batidor (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · nl garde (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · yue 𢪎蛋器 (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · th ตะกร้อ (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · bg метли́чка (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · nb visp (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · ru взбива́лка (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · uk ві́ничок m колоті́вка (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · ro tel (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · de Schneebesen (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · nl klopper (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · sv svep (quick, light sweeping motion) · ko 거품기 (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · fi huisku (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · fr fouet (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · sk metla (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · vi cái đánh trứng (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · da dusk (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · gl trello (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · sh pjenača (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · sh mȉkser (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · da visk (bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush) · fi pölyhuisku (small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle) · ru ве́нчик (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · be збіва́лка (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · es batidora (kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk) · gl varredela (quick, light sweeping motion)

whisk en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈʍɪsk/ without the wine–whine merger
• [ˈw̥ɪsk] without the wine–whine merger
• /ˈwɪsk/ wine–whine merger
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English whisk, borrowed from Old Norse visk, from Proto-Germanic *wiskaz, *wiskō (“bundle of hay, wisp”), from Proto-Indo-European *weys-. Cognates Cognate with Danish visk, Dutch wis, German Wisch, Latin virga (“rod, switch”), viscus (“entrails”), Lithuanian vizgéti (“to tremble”), Czech věchet (“wisp of straw”), Sanskrit वेष्क (veṣka, “noose”). Compare also Old English wiscian (“to plait”), granwisc (“awn”). The unetymological wh- is probably expressive of the sound; compare the same development in whip and onomatopoeias such as whack and whoosh.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To move something with quick light sweeping motions.
   • She held out her empty glass and it was adroitly whisked from her hand. 1968, Carl Ruhen, The Key Club, Sydney: Scripts, page 40:
   • He that walks in gray, whisking his riding Page. 1626 February 13 (licensing date; Gregorian calendar), Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Noble Gentleman”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
   • Vernon whisked the sawdust from his workbench.
2. (transitive) In cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream.
   • The chef prepared to whisk the egg whites for the angel's food cake.
   • First, marinate the tofu. In a bowl, whisk the kecap manis, chilli sauce, and sesame oil together. Cut the tofu into strips about 1cm thick, mix gently (so it doesn't break) with the marinade and leave in the fridge for half an hour. 2012 May 8, Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, Random House, →ISBN, page 79:
3. (transitive) To move something rapidly and with no warning.
   • The governess whisked the children from the room before they could see their presents.
   • July 3, 1769, Horace Walpole, letter to the Earl of Strafford I beg she would not impale worms, nor whisk carp out of one element into another.
4. (intransitive) To move lightly and nimbly.
   • The children whisked down the road to the fair, laughing and chattering as they went.
   • The stories did not seem to me to touch life. […] They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
5. (transitive) To move whiskers.

Forms

Deriveds

rewhisk · whisk off · unwhisked · tim-whiskey · whisk away · whisker

Translations (46)

gd sguab (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · de wischen (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · de verquirlen (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · gl bater (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · cs smést (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · gl remexer (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · bg замахвам (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · fi pyyhkiä (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · nl zwaaien (to move something rapidly and with no warning) · da piske (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · sv vispa (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · fi vispata (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · ru взбить (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · fi rientää (to move lightly and nimbly) · fi vatkata (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · fi lennättää (to move something rapidly and with no warning) · nb vispe (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · gl anazar (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · pt bater (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · bg разбивам (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · ru взбива́ть (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · nb piske (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · nn vispe (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · fi kiidättää (to move something rapidly and with no warning) · nrf d'battre (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · es batir (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · gl sacar (to move something rapidly and with no warning) · nl kloppen (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · bg бръсвам (to move something rapidly and with no warning) · mi tāwhiuwhiu (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · fr fouetter (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · ru смахну́ть (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · gd sguab (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · fr balayer (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · mi kōheri (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · nb vispe (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · cs šlehat (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · fi pyyhkäistä (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · gl bater (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · mi kōheriheri (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · gl anazar (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · cmn 攪打 /搅打 (in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream) · bg замахна (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · es deslizarse (to move lightly and nimbly) · ru сма́хивать (to move something with quick light sweeping motions) · ru ю́ркнуть (to move lightly and nimbly)

whisk en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈʍɪsk/ without the wine–whine merger
• [ˈw̥ɪsk] without the wine–whine merger
• /ˈwɪsk/ wine–whine merger
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

So called from the rapid action of sweeping the cards off the table after a trick has been won.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, uncountable) The card game whist.
   • Trump, noddy, whisk, hole[…] 1621, John Taylor, Taylor's Motto: