whip
whip — noun
1. a flexible rope or leather cord fastened to a short handle, used for striking pe
a flexible rope or leather cord fastened to a short handle, used for striking people or animals to urge them forward or as a means of discipline
Ziad cracked his whip to get the horses moving faster.
crack a whip — make a loud sound with it
The trainer never used a whip on the circus lions.
use a whip on [someone/something]
After each ride, Nkechi coiled the leather whip and hung it by the stable door.
The farmer used a whip to guide the sheep away from the busy road.
- crack a whip
- snap a whip
- use a whip on
- whip handle
2. a politician within a parliamentary party whose role is to ensure fellow members
a politician within a parliamentary party whose role is to ensure fellow members show up for votes and cast their ballots as the party directs
Imran works as the chief whip for the governing party.
chief whip — the lead whip of a party
The party whip contacted every MP before the budget vote.
party whip [person]
As a party whip, Christopher rounded up members for every important vote in Congress.
The opposition whip met with rebel MPs to persuade them to back the party's position.
- chief whip
- government whip
- opposition whip
- party whip
Usage Note
Often used with an adjective like "chief", "government", or "opposition" to specify the whip's party role.
3. a formal notice sent by a party whip to members of Parliament, requiring them to
a formal notice sent by a party whip to members of Parliament, requiring them to attend a specific vote and cast their ballot according to party instructions. Used in British politics.
Maeve received a three-line whip demanding her attendance at the debate.
three-line whip — strongest type of written order
The party issued a three-line whip for every member to attend the new law vote.
MPs received a one-line whip for the routine vote on minor tax changes.
Nadia ignored the party whip and voted according to her conscience.
- three-line whip
- issue a whip
- whip order
Usage Note
Commonly called a one-line, two-line, or three-line whip depending on how strictly attendance is required. A three-line whip is the most urgent and must not be missed.
4. the entitlement of an elected MP to cast votes in Parliament while representing
the entitlement of an elected MP to cast votes in Parliament while representing their chosen party. Used in British politics.
The MP had the whip withdrawn after voting against his own party.
withdraw the whip — remove a member's right to vote as party member
The MP was offered the Conservative whip after switching parties.
The rebel MP demanded the return of his whip after months of suspension.
Ravindra chose to sit as an independent after surrendering the party whip.
- withdraw the whip
- take the whip
- offer the whip
Usage Note
Often used in the phrases "have the whip withdrawn" (lose party voting rights) or "take the whip" (accept party membership).
5. a dessert prepared by whipping cream or egg whites until fluffy, then combining
a dessert prepared by whipping cream or egg whites until fluffy, then combining them with fruit or other flavourings
Olivia served a strawberry whip with fresh mint leaves on top.
[fruit] whip — a sweet dessert
The children asked for chocolate whip instead of ice cream.
For dessert, Grandmother served a lemon whip topped with fresh berries and mint.
The bakery sells a popular raspberry whip topped with toasted almonds.
- lemon whip
- strawberry whip
- chocolate whip
- fruit whip
6. a car, especially one that is powerful or expensive. Used in informal British En
a car, especially one that is powerful or expensive. Used in informal British English.
Owen pulled up outside the café in a brand-new whip.
informal: 'a whip' meaning a car
Haruto saved for two years to buy his dream whip — a red sports car.
Pim showed off his new whip at the weekend car meet.
The rapper drove a gold whip through the streets of the city.
- new whip
- dream whip
- drive a whip
Usage Note
This sense is very informal slang. It is often used in songs and casual conversation but not in formal writing.
7. a forceful strike or slash delivered by a whip or any similarly flexible rod-lik
a forceful strike or slash delivered by a whip or any similarly flexible rod-like item
João felt a sharp whip across his legs as the branch swung back.
A quick whip from the rider kept the horse running at full speed.
give [someone/something] a whip
A whip from the wire fence left a red mark on Lucas's arm.
A whip from the loose cable caught the cyclist across the shoulder in the wind.
- give a whip
- feel a whip
- leave a whip mark
- lash
a hit from a whip or similar object, often implying a swing of the lash
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1 (the physical object): this sense refers to the blow or strike itself, not the tool.
whip — verb
1. to take or pull something out of a place suddenly and with a quick movement
to take or pull something out of a place suddenly and with a quick movement
Amelia whipped her phone out of her bag to check the time.
whip [something] out — pull out quickly
Inês whipped the tablecloth off the table without disturbing the plates.
whip [something] off — remove quickly
The magician whipped a card from behind the girl's ear.
Gabriel whipped his hand back when the pan burned his fingers.
- whip out
- whip off
- whip away
- whip back
Grammar Patterns
whip + object + adverb/preposition
Usage Note
Commonly used with particles like "out", "off", "away", or "back" to show direction of the quick movement.
2. to go or make something go extremely fast with a sudden burst of force, often ch
to go or make something go extremely fast with a sudden burst of force, often changing direction sharply
The flag whipped around in the strong wind above the castle.
whip around — move violently in wind
Faisal whipped the car around the corner and into a tight parking space.
A branch from the old tree whipped across her face as she ran past.
The fishing line whipped through the air before landing on the water.
- whip around
- whip through
- whip past
Grammar Patterns
whip + adverb/preposition
whip + object + adverb/preposition
Usage Note
When used transitively, the object is typically something flexible (e.g. a rope, branch, towel) that the subject moves with force.
3. to beat cream, eggs, or other ingredients at high speed using a whisk or electri
to beat cream, eggs, or other ingredients at high speed using a whisk or electric beater until the mixture turns thick and fluffy
Nkechi whipped the cream until it formed soft peaks.
whip cream until [consistency]
Ava whipped the eggs and sugar together for the cake batter.
Takeshi whipped the double cream for the dessert while the guests were arriving.
The recipe says to whip the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy.
whip egg whites until stiff
- whip cream
- whip eggs
- whip egg whites
- whip until stiff
- whip together
Grammar Patterns
whip + food item
Usage Note
The cooking sense is the most frequent everyday use of the verb "whip". Unlike "beat", "whip" specifically implies fast, vigorous motion that incorporates air into the food.
Common Mistakes
4. to deliver blows to someone or a creature using a whip, typically to discipline
to deliver blows to someone or a creature using a whip, typically to discipline them or drive them to greater speed or effort
The rider whipped his horse to jump over the fence.
whip [animal] to [do something]
In the past, sailors were sometimes whipped for disobeying orders.
passive: [someone] was whipped for [reason]
The driver whipped the mules to pull the cart up the steep hill.
Imran refused to whip the dog even when it would not obey.
- whip a horse
- whip [someone] for
- get whipped
Grammar Patterns
whip + person/animal
Usage Note
This sense focuses on physical striking. When used figuratively (e.g., "wind whipped my face"), see verb sense 2 (MOVE FAST).
5. to soundly defeat an opponent or team in a competitive match, particularly in sp
to soundly defeat an opponent or team in a competitive match, particularly in sports
Our school team whipped the visitors by forty points.
whip [opponent] by [margin]
Maeve whipped her opponent in the chess tournament final.
The champion whipped every challenger who stepped into the ring.
Iker's team got whipped 6-1 in the semi-final match.
passive: get whipped — lose badly
- whip [someone] by [margin]
- get whipped
- whip [opponent]
Grammar Patterns
whip + opponent
Usage Note
Informal when used in non-sport contexts. More neutral in sports reporting.
6. to ensure that party members in a parliament attend votes and follow the party l
to ensure that party members in a parliament attend votes and follow the party leadership's instructions on how to cast their ballots
The chief whip whipped all party members to attend the late-night session.
Tariq knew his party would whip him to vote against the amendment.
whip [someone] to vote [way]
The government whipped its MPs to vote for the new education budget.
whip + MPs + to-infinitive — commanded voting direction
Party leaders whipped their members into attending the crucial finance debate.
- whip members
- whip [someone] to vote
- be whipped on a bill
Grammar Patterns
whip + party members
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used in British political contexts. The subject is typically a party or a chief whip, not an individual.
7. to steal something, especially in a quick or sneaky way
to steal something, especially in a quick or sneaky way
Someone whipped my wallet while I was getting on the bus.
informal sense of 'steal'
Christopher whipped a biscuit from the jar when no one was looking.
The boy whipped an apple from the market stall and ran away.
Someone at the party whipped Amelia's phone while she was dancing.
- whip [something] from
- whip [something] off
Grammar Patterns
whip + object
Usage Note
Informal theft sense. Less serious-sounding than "steal" — often suggests a small or playful theft rather than a serious crime.
whip up
phrasal verb1. to prepare food very quickly. 2. to cause strong feelings or interest in people, especially anger, excitement, or support.
Ramón whipped up a simple pasta dish in under fifteen minutes.
The politician's speech whipped up anger among the crowd.
whip through
phrasal verbTo do something very quickly, especially reading or completing a task.
Sara whipped through her homework in just twenty minutes.
Can you whip through these documents before the meeting?
Word family
- whippedadjectiveB2
- whippingnounB2
- whippernounC1
- whiplashnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/3
All four verbs describe mixing food, but they differ in speed, purpose, and tool. WHIP is the fastest and most vigorous — you whip cream or egg whites to incorporate air, making them light and fluffy, usually with an electric mixer or a whisk. WHISK as a verb often means using a wire whisk to mix or incorporate air, and is gentler than whip; you whisk eggs for an omelette. BEAT is more general — it covers any fast mixing, with or without adding air (e.g., "beat butter and sugar together"). STIR is the slowest and gentlest — you stir soup or coffee to combine ingredients without adding air. In short: whip adds the most air, stir adds the least; beat and whisk fall in between depending on speed and tool.
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb "whip" first appeared in Middle English around the 1200s, coming from Middle Dutch "wippen" meaning to swing or move back and forth. The noun sense — a flexible instrument for striking — developed soon afterward. By the 1700s, the political meaning emerged in British Parliament, where a "whipper-in" (a hunting term for someone who kept hounds together) was borrowed to describe the party member responsible for keeping MPs in line. The cooking sense (whip cream or eggs) appeared in the 1600s, referring to the rapid beating motion.