whisk

Meanings

Noun

• A quick, light sweeping motion.
• 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).
• A bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush.
• A small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle.
• A plane used by coopers for evening chines.
• A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress.
• The card game whist.

Verb

• To move something with quick light sweeping motions.
• In cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream.
• To move something rapidly and with no warning.
• To move lightly and nimbly.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• eggwhisk

Origin

• Middle English, from Old Norse visk, from Proto-Germanic *wiskaz, *wiskō, from Proto-Indo-European *weys-.
• Cognate with Danish visk, Dutch wis, German Wisch, Latin virga ("rod, switch"), viscus, Lithuanian vizgéti ("to tremble"), Czech vechet ("wisp of straw"), Sanskrit वेष्क ("noose"). Compare also Old English wiscian ("to plait"), granwisc.
• So called from the rapid action of sweeping the cards off the table after a trick has been won.