horsewhip

verb

horse·​whip ˈhȯrs-ˌ(h)wip How to pronounce horsewhip (audio)
horsewhipped; horsewhipping; horsewhips

transitive verb

: to flog with or as if with a whip made to be used on a horse
horsewhipper noun

Examples of horsewhip in a Sentence

He thinks that any government official who steals public money should be horsewhipped. the pirate captain threatened to horsewhip any of his crew who questioned his orders
Recent Examples on the Web The Speccie’s star columnist is the rudest man in Christendom, the Godzilla of contumely, an all-time non-sufferer of fools who horsewhips his targets the way Hunter S. Thompson and Christopher Hitchens once did. Kyle Smith, National Review, 23 Apr. 2020 In reality, Watson wasn’t a bar fighter or famous for horsewhipping cowboys. Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horsewhip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horsewhip was in 1751

Dictionary Entries Near horsewhip

Cite this Entry

“Horsewhip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horsewhip. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

horsewhip

verb
horse·​whip ˈhȯr-ˌswip How to pronounce horsewhip (audio)
ˈhȯrs-ˌhwip
: to beat with or as if with a whip made to be used on a horse

More from Merriam-Webster on horsewhip

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!