different between breeze vs whisk

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /b?i?z/
• Rhymes: -i?z

Etymology 1

From the earlier (nautical) term brise, brize (“breeze”), from Middle English brees (“wind”). Ultimate origin obscure.

Variously supposed to derive from a Germanic source like Saterland Frisian Briese (“breeze”), West Frisian brys (“a cool wind”), Dutch bries (“breeze”), early Dutch brysen (“to blow cool and fresh”), or from Spanish brisa (“northeast wind”).

The earliest attestations are in Middle English brees (1460), Catalan brisa, and Italian brezza (all in 15th century), with Spanish (1504) and Portuguese briza (16th century) following closely after. The aforementioned Dutch cognates and French brise, however, are attested later than the term in English. The only internal hypothesis for any of those languages is a corruption of Old Occitan bisa (“strong wind”), which is not widely accepted.

Compare also Albanian breshër (“hail”).

Alternative forms

• brize (obsolete)
• briess (obsolete)

Noun

breeze (plural breezes)

1. A light, gentle wind.
   • 1793, William Wordsworth, An Evening Walk

     Into a gradual calm the breezes sink.

   • Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.

2. (figuratively) Any activity that is easy, not testing or difficult.

3. (cricket) Wind blowing across a cricket match, whatever its strength.
4. Ashes and residue of coal or charcoal, usually from a furnace. See Wikipedia article on Clinker.
5. An excited or ruffled state of feeling; a flurry of excitement; a disturbance; a quarrel.

6. A brief workout for a racehorse.

Synonyms

• see also Thesaurus:wind
• cakewalk, cinch, doddle, piece of cake, walk in the park, walkover; see also Thesaurus:easy thing

Coordinate terms

• (gentle wind): gale, hurricane, storm

Derived terms

• breezen

Translations

See also

• breeze block
• Wikipedia article on the Beaufort scale

Verb

breeze (third-person singular simple present breezes, present participle breezing, simple past and past participle breezed) (intransitive)

1. (usually with along) To move casually, in a carefree manner.
2. (weather) To blow gently.
3. To take a horse on a light run in order to understand the running characteristics of the horse and to observe it while under motion.

Translations

References

Etymology 2

From Middle English brese, from Old English br?osa, variant of Old English brimsa (“gadfly”), from Proto-Germanic *bremus? (“gadfly”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?erem- (“to make a noise, buzz, hum”). Cognate with Dutch brems (“horsefly, warblefly”), German Bremse (“gadfly, horsefly”), Danish bremse (“gadfly, horsefly”), Swedish broms (“gadfly, horsefly”). Related also to Middle English brimse (“gadfly”), French brize (“gadfly”), Old English bremman (“to rage, roar”), Latin frem? (“roar, snort, growl, grumble”). See also bream.

Alternative forms

• breese
• brize

Noun

breeze (plural breezes)

1. A gadfly; a horsefly; a strong-bodied dipterous insect of the family Tabanidae.

Verb

breeze (third-person singular simple present breezes, present participle breezing, simple past and past participle breezed)

1. (intransitive) To buzz.

Anagrams

• beezer

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /(h)w?sk/
• Rhymes: -?sk

Etymology 1

Middle English [Term?], from Old Norse visk, from Proto-Germanic *wiskaz, *wisk? (“bundle of hay, wisp”), from Proto-Indo-European *weys-. Doublet of verge.

Cognate with Danish visk, Dutch wis, German Wisch, Latin virga (“rod, switch”), viscus (“entrails”), Lithuanian vizgéti (“to tremble”), Czech vechet (“wisp of straw”), Sanskrit ????? (ve?ka, “noose”). Compare also Old English wiscian (“to plait”), granwisc (“awn”).

Noun

whisk (plural whisks)

1. A quick, light sweeping motion.

   With a quick whisk, she swept the cat from the pantry with her broom.

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).

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

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

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

4. 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.

5. A plane used by coopers for evening chines.
6. A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress.

   • My wife in her new lace whiske.

7. (archaic) An impertinent fellow.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Hyponyms

• eggwhisk

Translations

Verb

whisk (third-person singular simple present whisks, present participle whisking, simple past and past participle whisked)

1. (transitive) To move something with quick light sweeping motions.

   • He that walks in gray, whisking his riding Page.

2. (transitive) In cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream.

3. (transitive) 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.

4. (intransitive) To move lightly and nimbly.

Translations

References

Etymology 2

So called from the rapid action of sweeping the cards off the table after a trick has been won.

Noun

whisk (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) The card game whist.
   • 1621, John Taylor, Taylor's Motto

     Trump, noddy, whisk, hole […]