whisk
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whisk¹
- /ˈwɪsk/
- /ˈʍɪsk/
- [ˈw̥ɪsk]
Rhymes with -ɪsk
Where it comes from
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.
noun whisks
- A quick, light sweeping motion. With a quick whisk, she swept the cat from the pantry with her broom.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- A plane used by coopers for evening chines.
- A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress. My wife in her new lace whiske.
verb whisks · whisking · whisked
- To move something with quick light sweeping motions. Vernon whisked the sawdust from his workbench.
- In cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream. The chef prepared to whisk the egg whites for the angel's food cake.
- To move something rapidly and with no warning. 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.
- To move lightly and nimbly. 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.
- To move whiskers.
whisk²
- /ˈwɪsk/
- /ˈʍɪsk/
- [ˈw̥ɪsk]
Rhymes with -ɪsk
Where it comes from
So called from the rapid action of sweeping the cards off the table after a trick has been won.
noun
- The card game whist. Trump, noddy, whisk, hole[…]
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: whisk off, whip, whiskbroom, beat, fight, broom, scan, brooms, whisker, flywhisk, wisp, ringe, whipper, egg whisk, whirl, eggwhisk
Translations
Every language
noun quick, light sweeping motion
| Español | barrido |
|---|---|
| Português | lapada |
| Русский | сма́хивание smáxivanije |
noun kitchen utensil — see also egg whisk
| Español | batidora, batidor |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 거품기 geopumgi |
| 日本語 | 泡立て器 awadateki |
| 中文 | 打蛋器 dǎdànqì |
| Português | batedor, fuê |
| Français | fouet |
| Deutsch | Schneebesen, Schaumschläger |
| Italiano | frusta |
| Română | tel |
| Русский | сбива́лка sbiválka, ве́нчик vénčik, взбива́лка vzbiválka |
| Tiếng Việt | cái đánh trứng |
| العربية | مِخْفَقَة miḵfaqa |
noun bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush
| Español | brocha, escobilla |
|---|---|
| Português | broxa |
| Русский | метёлка metjólka |
noun small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle
| Français | balayette |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Handfeger, Handbesen, Bartwisch |
| Русский | метёлка metjólka |
verb to move something with quick light sweeping motions
| Français | balayer |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | wischen |
| Русский | сма́хивать smáxivatʹ, смахну́ть smaxnútʹ |
verb in cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream
| Español | batir |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 攪打 /搅打 jiǎodǎ |
| Português | bater |
| Français | fouetter |
| Deutsch | verquirlen |
| Русский | взбива́ть vzbivátʹ, взбить vzbitʹ |
verb to move lightly and nimbly
| Español | deslizarse |
|---|---|
| Русский | ю́ркнуть júrknutʹ |
Talk about this word "whisk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/whisk. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. whisk. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/whisk "whisk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/whisk.Cite this
@misc{whisk_2026,
title = {whisk},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/whisk},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
