whisk

CEFRB2

/ˈwɪsk/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To mix food quickly using a wire tool.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    A bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush.

Examples

  • Crack two eggs into a bowl, then whisk them together with some milk.

  • Whisk sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈʍɪsk/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meaning

  1. 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).

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A quick, light sweeping motion.

  2. A small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle.

More examples

In context

  • Beat the eggs with a whisk.

  • He used a whisk to whip up a light and airy souffle.

  • Peter dipped the whisk in lather and applied it to his face, so he could start shaving.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She used a fork to blank the eggs for the omelet.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

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.