different between whisk vs slither

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 […]

English

Etymology

From Middle English slitheren, alteration of slideren (“to slither, creep”), from Old English slidrian (“to slip, slide, slither”), from Proto-West Germanic *slidr?n (“to slide, slither”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyd?- (“to slip”), equivalent to slide +? -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch slidderen (“to slip, wriggle, slither”), German schlittern (“to slither, skid”). More at slide.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?sl?ð.?(?)/
• Rhymes: -?ð?(r)

Verb

slither (third-person singular simple present slithers, present participle slithering, simple past and past participle slithered)

1. (intransitive) To move about smoothly and from side to side.
2. (intransitive) To slide
   • 2003, J. Flash, An American Savage

     I bent down and with both hands I scooped up as much of this pissshit as I could. The green and brown clump felt like Jello as it dripped down all over my clothes. It was slithering through inbetween my fingers.

Derived terms

• aslither
• slitherlink
• Slytherin

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

slither

1. (archaic) slithery; slippery

Noun

slither (uncountable)

1. A limestone rubble.
2. (nonstandard, see usage notes) A sliver.

Usage notes

The use of slither to mean sliver, which is prevalent especially in Britain (where th-fronting is becoming more and more prevalent), is considered by many to be an error, though at least one major dictionary merely labels it "informal" [1].

See also

• sliver

Anagrams

• Hirtles, Hitlers, Shitler, relisht