whip

The word “whip” means a flexible rod or braided cord, often of leather, used to strike an animal or person, or to make a sharp cracking noise. In plain terms, a tool for striking or a quick, sudden motion — and, separately, a party official who enforces voting discipline.

“Whip” is pronounced WIHP (/ˈwɪp/ in IPA).

Here is “whip” used in a sentence: “The rider gave the horse a light touch with the whip to speed it up.”

Words with a similar meaning to “whip” include crop, driving whip, dressage whip, jumping bat, flail and knout.

Depending on how it is used, “whip” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “whip” dates back to around 1700 and comes from Middle English.

“Whip” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Whip” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a flexible rod or braided cord, often of leather, used to strike an animal or person, or to make a sharp cracking noise.

In politics, a whip is the politician responsible for making sure party members vote according to party policy. Whips count expected votes, ensure members turn up for important votes, and apply party discipline. The role exists in many legislatures, including the UK Parliament and the US Congress.

Whipping means beating food quickly, especially cream or egg whites, so it takes in air and becomes light and airy, gaining volume. Whisking is the broader action of beating or blending with a whisk, which may aim only to combine ingredients smoothly. All whipping involves fast beating, but not all whisking is meant to add volume.

In UK politics, a three-line whip is the strictest voting instruction a party's whips can issue, requiring members to attend and vote the party line. The name refers to the item being underlined three times on the written instructions sent to members. Defying a three-line whip is treated as serious party indiscipline.