whisk

Meaning

Noun

1. A quick, light sweeping motion.
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).
3. A bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush.
4. A small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle.
5. A plane used by coopers for evening chines.
6. A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress.

Verb

1. (transitive) To move something with quick light sweeping motions.
2. (transitive) In cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream.
3. (transitive) To move something rapidly and with no warning.
4. (intransitive) To move lightly and nimbly.
5. (transitive) To move whiskers.

Synonyms

brush

whip

sweep

wipe off

whisk broom

wipe

dash about

strike

dust

flit

fly

✈️

beat

rake

dart

🎯

graze

whisk off

stir

scurry about

wipe up

dash

💨

flash

go

hit

hotfoot

kidnap

negative

pass over

plunge

race

rape

ravish

rebuff

refuse

reject

repudiate

rub out

run

score out

scratch

skim

slip

stirrer

stir up

streak

swab

sweep away

sweep up

swob

toothpick

scamper away

Translations

fouet

batidora

Schneebesen

batidor

fouetter

battre

batir

Schaumschläger

frusta

transporter

balayer

πετιέμαι

balayette

βέργα

wischen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/(h)wɪsk/

Etymology

Cognate with Danish: visk

Cognate with Dutch: wis

Cognate with German: Wisch

Cognate with Latin: virga

Cognate with Lithuanian: vizgéti

Cognate with Czech: věchet

Cognate with Sanskrit: वेष्क

Cognate with Old English: wiscian

In summary

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.