whisk
/ˈwɪsk/noun, verb
whisk is spelled W-H-I-S-K: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,070th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, whisk means “A quick, light sweeping motion” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of whisk is whisks.
How many letters and syllables are in whisk?
| Letters | 5: W-H-I-S-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 25,070th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is whisk?
Whisk appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,070th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce whisk?
- /ˈwɪsk/
- /ˈʍɪsk/
- [ˈw̥ɪsk]
Whisk has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-whisk.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of whisk
- whisks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- whisking participle, present
- whisked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does whisk mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 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, 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.
- 7
obsoleteThe card game whist.
verb
- 1
To move something with quick light sweeping motions.
Vernon whisked the sawdust from his workbench.
- 2
In cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream.
The chef prepared to whisk the egg whites for the angel's food cake.
- 3
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
To move lightly and nimbly.
The children whisked down the road to the fair, laughing and chattering as they went.
- 5
To move whiskers.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Whisk in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | lapada , batedor, fuê , broxa , bater |
| Spanish | barrido , batidora, batidor , brocha, escobilla , batir |
| French | fouet , fouetter , balayette , balayer |
| German | Schneebesen, Schaumschläger , Handfeger, Handbesen, Bartwisch , wischen |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does whisk come from?
From Middle English whisk, borrowed from Old Norse visk, from Proto-Germanic *wiskaz, *wiskō (“bundle of hay, wisp”), from Proto-Indo-European *weys-.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).