whisker - Wiktionary, the free dictionary


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Zinc whiskers (8) (tendrils that form on metal).

Middle English wisker, whisk (verb) +‎ -er[1]

whisker (plural whiskers)

  1. That part of the beard which grows upon the sides of the face, usually of the male, or upon the chin, or upon both.
  2. A hair of the beard.
  3. One of the long, projecting hairs growing at the sides of the mouth of a cat, or other animal.
  4. (colloquial) The (very small) distance between two things.

    It missed falling on your foot by a whisker.

    • 2011 May 14, Peter Scrivener, “Sunderland 1 - 3 Wolverhampton”, in BBC Sport‎[1]:

      Boosted by their reward, Wolves continued to push forward and Jamie O'Hara came within a whisker of doubling the lead, smashing a 25-yard effort on to the bar.

  5. (nautical) Spreaders from the bows to spread the bowsprit shrouds.
  6. (statistics) A graphic element that shows the maxima and minima in a box plot.
  7. One who, or that which, whisks, or moves with a quick, sweeping motion.
  8. (metallurgy) A small tendril that forms on metal.

part of the beard

hair of the beard

long projecting hair at the sides of the mouth of a cat

(colloquial) very small distance between two things

a graphic element that shows the maxima and minima in a box plot

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “whisker”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.